When 24 Malaysian students returned from the World Robot Games (WRG) 2025 in Taipei with more than 80 medals between them, the headline wrote itself: a remarkable international achievement by teens barely into their secondary school years.

What remained hidden was the reality behind those victories. The weekends sacrificed, lengthy journeys between states, mounting pressure of consecutive competitions, and parents who made it possible for their children to compete on the world stage.

The students, aged between 13 and 14, are...