IEEE Cubing Nepal 2025

Seventy-eight competitors gathered at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, setting the stage for an intense weekend of puzzle-solving in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Bagmati Province, Nepal. The IEEE Cubing Nepal 2025 took place across July 19 and July 20, 2025, bringing 8 events and 15 rounds of competition to the local stage. On home soil, Nepalese competitors claimed every single podium spot on offer across all disciplines, demonstrating the remarkable depth of the local speedcubing community.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest stood out as the centerpiece of the gathering, drawing all 78 participants through three demanding rounds of play. Aarbid Bhattarai rose to the occasion in front of the home crowd, capturing first place with an impressive winning average of 8.23 seconds and a best single time of 7.34 seconds. In the final standings for the 3x3 results, Serene Aryal finished as runner-up with an average of 9.48 seconds, while Salon Ngakhushi locked in third place at 9.65 seconds.

Salon Ngakhushi enjoyed an exceptionally productive weekend, securing top honors in two distinct events while earning multiple podium appearances. Ngakhushi claimed victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 35.39 seconds and a single of 31.99 seconds, finishing ahead of Bhattarai at 38.86 seconds and Raman Shakya at 40.01 seconds. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Ngakhushi took first place by registering a 15.12-second average, narrowly edging Bhattarai who averaged 15.21 seconds and Anubhav Gyawali who posted 15.33 seconds.

Ronish Ghemosu was another standout performer across the weekend, claiming double victories in the Pyraminx and Skewb categories. Ghemosu secured the Pyraminx title with an average of 4.08 seconds, ahead of Bihan Thapa Magar at 4.97 seconds and Aabhushan Khanal at 4.98 seconds. In the Skewb event, Ghemosu delivered a 3.45-second winning average, finishing clear of Gyawali at 6.06 seconds and Sakas Adhikari at 6.33 seconds, while also placing second in Megaminx at 55.29 seconds behind winner Kabya Ratna Sthapit who posted 55.06 seconds.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several participants marked remarkable personal milestones and breakthrough performances during this WCA competition. Yuksang Hang Limbu delivered a major improvement in Skewb, shaving 72 percent off a previous best to hit 4.49 seconds on the way to a 6th place finish, alongside a 30.8 percent cut to 4.90 seconds in Pyraminx. Russel Maharjan took on 5 events and lowered a Pyraminx personal best by 66.7 percent to 9.64 seconds, while cutting down a 3x3x3 mark to 53.79 seconds and improving in 2x2x2 to 12.21 seconds. Relish Karki entered 5 events, earning 7th place in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 41.3 percent personal best drop in Pyraminx to 8.27 seconds, and attempting 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 4.24 single and 4x4x4 Cube with 1:13.00. Bishal Ojha took on a full slate of 8 events, achieving an 8th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube, an initial Megaminx attempt of 3:33.33, and personal best drops in Skewb to 8.71 seconds and 2x2x2 to 5.58 seconds.

The spirit of growth extended across newcomers and multi-event competitors taking their first steps at this cubing competition. Samyam Jung Khadka reduced a 2x2x2 mark by 47.8 percent to 4.77 seconds and dropped a 3x3x3 time by 33.6 percent to 25.24 seconds, while logging a first attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 51.47 seconds. Aishani Dhakhwa tackled 8 events, recording a 49.4 percent personal best drop in Skewb to 7.44 seconds and a 38 percent drop in Pyraminx to 7.57 seconds. Subhasis Rai entered their first ever speed cubing tournament, tackling 6 events with first-time official marks of 7.36 seconds in Skewb, 1:13.59 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 38.50 seconds in One-Handed, securing 12th in Skewb. Swostik Neupane also made their official debut across 5 events, recording initial attempts of 5.49 seconds in 2x2x2, 8.79 seconds in Pyraminx, and 2:41.36 in 5x5x5 Cube to finish 10th in that event.

Short-format speed solving produced exciting action in the 2x2x2 Cube, where Surav Krishna Shrestha took the title with a swift 3.03-second average and a 2.76 single. Gyawali followed closely behind in second place with an average of 3.20 seconds, while Aryal earned third place with a 3.66 average. The contest featured 50 competitors battling through two rounds of solves, keeping the pace brisk as participants worked to solve the Rubik's Cube variant in mere seconds.

The big cubes provided a test of endurance and concentration to round out the 15-round program. Raman Shakya led the field in the 5x5x5 Cube, securing first place with an average of 1:09.35 and the event best single of 1:01.32. Ngakhushi claimed second place in the 5x5x5 at 1:12.54, followed by Birat Shrestha in third at 1:31.86, while Shakya also added a third-place finish in Megaminx at 1:08.80. The conclusion of IEEE Cubing Nepal 2025 celebrated an entire weekend of homegrown skill, setting a high standard for Nepalese speedcubers as they look ahead to the next season.