Shillong, Dec 17: For the first time, Meghalaya is hosting the Indian Nationals cubing championships. The yearly event is being held from December 14 – 17, 2023 at Shillong.

Indian Nationals cubing championships is affiliated to the World Cube Association. The event, being held after 3 years, is presented by AVENUES, Meghalaya’s social enterprise for personal excellence, in partnership with the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, and brought to Shillong through organising clubs, CIPHER, IT, NEHU and SpeedCubing Guwahati.

In an effort to encourage cubing enthusiasts and promote cubing as an intellectual sport amongst the youth, the competition is hosting over 100 cubers of all ages from across the country who are now competing in the country’s premiere speedcubing competition at the premises of the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. 4 young cubers from Meghalaya are also participating for their very first time at the Indian Nationals.

Since the first day of the competition, multiple rounds for each cubing event have been conducted to take the finalists forward. The events are based on the type of cube or puzzle that is played. This competition, in particular, features 16 different events namely the 3x3x3 Cube, which is the main event, the 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, 3x3x3 One-handed, 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 4x4x4 Blindfolded, 5x5x5 Blindfolded, 3x3x3 Multi-blind, Skewb, Square-1, Megaminx, Pyraminx and Clock.

In his address to an audience of cubers, parents, and delegates from the World Cube Association, at a function held on Saturday, Swapnil Tembe, Director, School Education and Literacy, Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya, said, “Games and sports teach us that when we put in 100% effort, amazing things happen. Just as solving a Rubik’s Cube requires the right order with the right effort in the right direction, so too in life, we need the right approach and mindset.”

He expressed his appreciation towards the parents who have shown their support for their children’s interests by travelling the length and breadth of the country to bring them to the nationals in Shillong. “It is my hope that we are able to integrate mind-sports like Chess and Cubing to the school curriculum in an effort towards ensuring holistic, inclusive education,” he added.

Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, North-Eastern Hill University also addressed the cubers and expressed his commitment to helping youth “churn their minds”. “Looking at the participation and the faces present at this competition, we can say that the entire India is present here!”.

Aryan Chhabra, India’s fastest cuber on record, is looking to break his national record of 4.81 seconds in the 3x3x3 challenge. He also spoke at the event, saying, “It is indeed very encouraging to see the state government involved in such a significant way to mainstream cubing as a major event.”

Somya Srivastava, Vice-Chair & Board Member, World Cube Association, also spoke at the event, saying, “The fact that we’re not just restricted to a Mumbai or Delhi as an event, but we’re here in the Northeast in Shillong speaks volumes of the growth of cubing in the country. I am especially glad that we are seeing a large presence of new cubers at this event”. She went on to express her gratitude to the stakeholders involved in ensuring the success of the competition.

Mark Laitflang Stone, Founder & CEO, AVENUES, Shillong, also addressed the audience, saying, “The theme for this year’s nationals is ‘Beat Your Best’, and that speaks volumes of the correlation between cubing and personal excellence, which is at the heart of what we do at Avenues. To be the best version of ourselves in all walks of life takes passion, discipline, clarity and the emotional awareness to see ourselves through every challenge”.

The coming together of key stakeholders and interest groups in the state to promote cubing and mind sports in the state, is towards the common goal to engage youth in meaningful, productive activities that contribute to their personal wellbeing and youth development in the state.

Also Read: Vijay Merchant Trophy: Meghalaya take slender first innings lead over Mizoram

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