Hala February Kuwait 2025

Eight competitors sat in complete silence as the blindfolded events took centre stage, demanding absolute memorisation before a single move was executed. At Hala February Kuwait 2025, held at The Promenade mall in Hawally, Kuwait on February 21, 2025, success without sight required flawless mental discipline. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, Akash Rupela of India delivered the winning average of 2:04.21, anchored by a best single of 1:02.94. Omar Ziad of Egypt took the second spot on the podium with a single mark of 1:45.66, while Mohammad Almoumen of Kuwait earned third place with a time of 2:39.36.

The mental marathon deepened in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind contest, where six competitors attempted to memorise and solve multiple puzzles while completely blindfolded. Hussain Merza of Kuwait emerged as the outright winner by successfully registering a perfect 2/2 in 12:40. Akash Rupela followed in second place with 3/4 cubes solved in 24:59. Four other competitors, Mohammad Almoumen, Shaikha Albarjas, Alkawthar Jaber Akbar, and Ahmad Alolaimi, finished tied for third after recording incomplete attempts, illustrating the punishing margins that define the discipline in any serious cubing competition.

Across the 61 competitors and eight events featured throughout the single-day WCA competition, Kuwait collected a dominant total of 15 podium finishes, with Egypt and India securing six each. Beyond the memory challenges, traditional Rubik's Cube solving brought immense intensity across 10 rounds of play. Ahmad Alolaimi emerged as the standout performer in Hawally, capturing two gold medals across the classic disciplines. Alolaimi secured the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 8.97, backed by a best single of 8.10, leading a field of 60 competitors.

The 3x3 results in the main final saw Akash Rupela take the runner-up position with an average of 10.32, while Omar Ziad took third step on the podium with 10.37. Ahmad Alolaimi repeated his winning form in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking top honours with a winning average of 15.85 and a best single of 14.76 across 33 competitors. Akash Rupela claimed second in the one-handed event with 19.61, while Omar Ziad picked up third place with a 21.97 average.

Away from the top of the podiums, the event floor revealed extraordinary individual breakthroughs from dedicated participants. Sayed Haidar Ibrahim delivered a massive performance in the Pyraminx, logging a personal best of 4.10 that was 70.6 percent faster than his previous standard, while also shaving 28.7 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark at 4.10. Yousif Aldallal took on five events, improving his Pyraminx personal best by 50 percent to 5.27, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 14.7 percent to 4.35, and making his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a time of 30.91. Deema Mahmoud Alshammari took on six events and showed sharp progress across the board, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.88 that was 49.1 percent faster and trimming 36.4 percent from her Skewb time to finish in 5.72.

That same drive was evident across multiple puzzle categories. Husain Khuraibet entered six events, improving his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 43.6 percent down to 1:18.35 and dropping 29.7 percent in 3x3x3 One-Handed to hit 20.08, which earned him eighth place overall. Mohammad Alonaizi achieved a tenth-place finish in Skewb, made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 48.80, and cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 37.4 percent to 4.45. Shreyas Mahesh Hosahalli registered a 35 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube with a 59.29 personal best for 12th place, alongside his first ever attempts at Skewb and Pyraminx. First-time tournament entrants added fresh energy, as Mohsen Amerian tackled six events including a first 3x3x3 Cube attempt of 12.09, and Rafik Ahmed Rafik entered five events, recording his first official 3x3x3 One-Handed mark at 1:00.32.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Omar Ziad showcased exceptional speed cubing technique to secure the title with a winning average of 42.67 and a best single of 39.13 among 25 entrants. Ahmad Alolaimi took second place on the 4x4x4 podium with 46.36, while Akash Rupela rounded out the top three with 46.73. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Abdulmohsen Almunayes took the overall victory with a 3.33 average and a 3.05 single across two competitive rounds, edging past Omar Ziad at 3.70 and Alkawthar Jaber Akbar at 4.19.

The side events brought further gold for the host nation as Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa claimed a double victory. In Pyraminx, Almutawa topped the 46-competitor field with a winning average of 4.32, finishing ahead of Abdulmohsen Almunayes at 4.53 and Omar Ziad at 6.10. Almutawa subsequently took first place in Skewb with a 4.82 average, leading Abdulrahman Alali at 5.75 and Akash Rupela at 7.93. The collective achievements at Hala February Kuwait 2025 delivered a comprehensive showcase of modern speedcubing, combining intense physical dexterity with deep mental endurance.