News Desk, News Nation 360 : At an elegant Closing Ceremony held in Kolkata, the 10th IIHM Young Chef Olympiad came to an end. It was a historic and grand event. YCO 2024, which was hosted by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) and organised by the International Hospitality Council (IHC), was a true celebration of the One World One YCO spirit. Leyla Valiyeva of Azerbaijan took home the coveted gold trophy. Clifford Jeff Cadunggo Unabia of the Philippines and Kamal Thapa of Nepal shared the silver. Francesco Orsi of Italy took home the bronze medal. YCO 2024 featured a lengthy list of special category winners in addition to the top three. Lenin Bopanna of India won the Plate Trophy round, which was contested by the next-best teams ranked between 11 and 20 in the competition. New Zealand won the Kitchen Cut Management Award. Italy won Best Crème Souffle a l'Orange, but Nepal took
home the Best Vegetarian Dish title. Based on the mentors' recommendations regarding their individual participants, six Best Mentor Nominee Awards were presented. Greece, Jordan, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Botswana, and Equatorial Guinea were the recipients of the awards. Nepal, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and Australia were the recipients of the six Best Young Chef Ambassador Awards. In addition, participants were graded on the best kitchen and hygiene practices they maintained throughout the competition. Nakul Anand, eminent hotel an travel industry personality who is now Chairman of the YCO Global Advisory Committee stated that there are weeks when decades occur and years when nothing happens. That was the pandemic's outcome. It brought everyone closer to food and taught the value of sustainability and health. He is thrilled that in this competition, YCO has embodied sustainability and food. YCO 2024 persisted in embracing the crucial and noteworthy theme of sustainability, advocating for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. A unique prize known as the Zenobia Nadirshaw Diamond Research Award was given to students who conducted research on the SDGs and how to accomplish them in order to improve the quality of life on Earth. Kenya, Bangladesh, India, and Italy each took home four awards in this category.
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