A team comprising of three Pakistani students, Sonia Mujib, Bisma Ejaz and Nida Sheikh, have secured two bronze medals at the recently concluded Battle of the Chefs-2022 competition in Malaysia. While they won full marks for taste, presentation is what let them down in the end. The three-day culinary competition was organized by the World Association of Chefs society in Penang, Malaysia. In conversation with SAMAA TV’s Naya Din, Sonia Mujib described the dish that earned her the medal in the chicken category. She said that she received full marks for the incredible taste of the dish, but a little lacklustre presentation cost her the gold. Chef Nida Shaikh, a member of the team of chefs, also earned a bronze in the beef category. Talking about her experience of competing internationally, she described it as educational. “We were able to use the ingredients and techniques that we have previously only read about,” she said. The students were supervised by two teachers from the Pakistan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (PITHM), including Chef Aamir Iqbal and Chef Mehreen Mushtaq. While talking to SAMAA TV, Chef Aamir Iqbal stated their institute is associated with the World Association of Chefs society, which has opened doors for Pakistan’s culinary students to take part in international competitions. While YouTube videos and cookbooks can help you become a cook, there is a place and need for professional training to truly become a culinary expert. PITHM Director Niyaz Malkani told SAMAA TV that any business requires surplus capital to operate profitably. But hospitality training helps promote self-employment. The students they picked for the competition excelled in their chosen programs at the institute and they then proved their skills on the international stage. It was the first time that the PITHM participated in an international competition where they faced competition from students of hospitality training institutes in Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand. Sindh Minister for Education, Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Sardar Shah also reacted positively to the announcement of the achievement.