Amazing young stars - 22nd January 2024

Some young people in the UK are doing amazing things.

Bodhana Sivanandan’s a great chess player. And she’s only eight years old!

She plays ‘blitz’ chess. This is a short game of chess. It takes three to five minutes. Players have to think quickly. Sivanandan won a women’s competition in Europe. But she doesn’t always win. ‘'Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't,” she says.

Luke Littler’s relaxed too. He’s 16 and good at darts. He’s the first child in the World Darts Championship final.

Next, there’s Teddy Hobbs. He’s very intelligent. He’s the only five year old member of Mensa. Teddy could read at two years old. He knows the numbers from 1 to 100 in six languages. And he’s good at maths.

But life may be difficult for young players like these. Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and Michael Phelps agree. They felt different from their friends. They were sometimes worried and sad.

But Sivanandan’s different. She isn’t worried in competitions.