Barrett Fortuinair and Calhan Cerf are 10 and 13 years old, respectively, and they're two of six students from South Africa's Booster Kids Robotics Club who have been selected to represent their country at the Asian Pacific Open 2024 championship in Sydney, Australia, from July 4 to July 4.
The kids are first-time participants in the competition, which is open to kids ages 10 to 14, and they won't be the first African team to compete, but they'll be the first from South Africa to do so, the BBC reports.
They'll also be the first team from Africa to compete against teams from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, the Guardian reports.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us," says Calhan's father, Dale Cerf, who notes that his son and five other team members were selected after winning the First Lego League competition in South Africa earlier this month.
The kids will be competing against teams from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, the Guardian notes, and they'll have to overcome a number of challenges, including traveling, competition fees, accommodations, and, of course, the melting of chess pieces.
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