LOCUS Cubing Nepal 2025

Salon Ngakhushi produced a masterclass in multi-event mastery across two days of intense speedcubing, capturing four separate titles to lead the standings. Gathering at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, the action saw seasoned competitors assert their experience across 8 events and 14 total rounds. Ngakhushi set the tone by winning the 3x3x3 One-Handed final with a 15.53 winning average, taking the 5x5x5 Cube in 1:13.06, topping Megaminx in 1:15.34, and securing the Skewb crown with an average of 5.91. His sweeping success anchored a memorable showcase of high-level solving.

Held in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Bagmati Province, Nepal on January 17–18, LOCUS Cubing Nepal 2025 brought together 50 competitors eager to test their skill under tournament conditions. As the first major WCA competition in the region for the 2025 calendar year, the tournament featured classic disciplines alongside rotational specialties. Veteran competitors quickly found their rhythm across the tables, converting years of practice into podium finishes. The local crowd witnessed high stakes in every round, particularly as the classic Rubik's Cube drew a full field of 50 entrants.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube competition went down to the narrowest margins after three full rounds of head-to-head play. Anubhav Gyawali claimed victory with an average of 10.23, holding off Aarbid Bhattarai who finished second with a 10.38 average. Aabhushan Khanal completed the podium in third, logging an identical 10.38 average in an exceptionally tight final. The official 3x3 results underlined Gyawali's consistency across the solve sheet, backed by his best single solve of 9.11 during the final round.

Aarbid Bhattarai bounced back with a dominant performance in the 2x2x2 Cube final, posting a winning average of 3.10 and a best single of 2.40 across two rounds. Bhattarai edged out Gyawali, who secured the runner-up spot at 3.30, while Ngakhushi added another medal to his tally in third place with 3.68. The short-format rounds saw quick hands and sharp recognition throughout, demonstrating the incredible reflexes required at the highest level of speed cubing.

Big cubes and side disciplines provided plenty of excitement at LOCUS Cubing Nepal 2025. Raman Shakya captured the 4x4x4 Cube championship with a 38.07 winning average and a single of 36.31, finishing ahead of Ngakhushi at 39.42 and Bhattarai at 43.88. Shakya also collected podium hardware in Megaminx and Pyraminx. In the Pyraminx final, Ronish Ghemosu took the title with a 4.76 average, edging out Khanal at 4.94 and Shakya at 5.63. The 5x5x5 Cube podium also welcomed Gaurav Bachani from India, who claimed third with an average of 1:49.40.

Behind the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their individual schedules. Aayush Timilsina took on seven events and earned his best finish of eighth in Skewb, along with his first ever attempts at Megaminx with 3:48.60 and 4x4x4 Cube with 1:24.49, plus a Pyraminx personal best of 10.03 that was 45.3 percent faster than his previous mark. Birat Shrestha tackled five events and finished fourth in 4x4x4 Cube with a first attempt time of 44.48, while also making his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 23.95 and notching a 2x2x2 Cube best of 2.91, 25.6 percent faster than before.

The progress continued with Bishesh Bajracharya, who finished sixth in 5x5x5 Cube on a first attempt time of 2:27.63, made his first attempt at Skewb in 10.88, and logged a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.45, an improvement of 10.7 percent. Bishan Katwal lowered his Skewb mark to 11.22, shaving 45.6 percent off his previous record, while improving his 2x2x2 Cube time by 32.3 percent to 9.36. Kabya Ratna Sthapit took on six events, finishing sixth in Megaminx with a debut time of 2:33.00, alongside a 32.7 percent improvement in Skewb to 11.20 and an 18.2 percent drop in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 26.65.

Other competitors marked important firsts on the tournament floor. Krishal KC improved his 4x4x4 Cube best by 31.1 percent to 1:08.53 and lowered his Pyraminx time by 16.6 percent to 5.43. Sujal Dawadi trimmed 20.9 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube standard to 11.42 and recorded his first ever 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:30.11. Debutant Aishani Dhakhwa took on eight events, highlighted by an eighth-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube, an initial 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:48.72, and a debut Megaminx mark of 4:09.60.

With 23 podium finishes for Nepal and one for India, LOCUS Cubing Nepal 2025 concluded as an emphatic demonstration of regional talent and veteran composure. Across two full days of bracket progression and personal milestones, the competition delivered memorable battles in every round. As competitors look ahead to their next tournament opportunities, the standard set in Lalitpur establishes a high bar for the rest of the competitive season.