Matale Cubing Year-End 2023

Inside the Mahatma Gandhi International Centre in Matale, the final competition days of the year carried all the intensity of a championship decider. Tables were arranged beneath bright hall lights as timers, inspection mats, and score sheets were readied for two days of decisive action on December 30 and 31. Sixty-two competitors gathered in Matale, Sri Lanka, looking to capture late silverware and settle year-end standings across 16 total rounds of play.

The stakes across ten events demanded versatility and endurance from every entrant in the field. At Matale Cubing Year-End 2023, the classic Rubik's Cube headliner featured 62 contenders battling through three progressive rounds before reaching the final. The standard 3x3 results crowned Sujan Irosha Kumarapperuma as champion with a winning average of 9.70 seconds, backed by a best single of 8.91 seconds. Banura Perera secured second place on a 10.43 average, while Benul Uthsala Subasinghe took third at 12.33.

Kumarapperuma converted that momentum into a dominant run throughout the program. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he clinched first place with a 32.72 average, outpacing Subasinghe at 51.02 and Perera at 52.13. He continued his sweep in 5x5x5 Cube by taking gold with an average of 1:03.18, having dropped a best single of 56.14 along the way, while Subasinghe and Perera earned silver and bronze. The big-cube control demonstrated the consistency required to manage championship-level pressure across lengthy match schedules.

The one-handed and efficiency disciplines similarly broke in Kumarapperuma's favor. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, he posted a 17.49 winning average to finish ahead of Perera's 20.82 and Santhiviraj Harikesh's 23.98. Turning to 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Kumarapperuma produced a single of 42 moves to take first place, edging Dulina Harshitha Pieris with 45 moves and Subasinghe with 50. Kumarapperuma also secured the Pyraminx title with a 3.26 average, completing a six-event victory haul at Matale Cubing Year-End 2023.

Short-format puzzles provided their own drama, led by a blistering 2x2x2 Cube final. Benul Uthsala Subasinghe captured the gold medal with a 2.01 winning average, followed by Manija Kalansooriya at 3.10 and Kumarapperuma at 3.57. In Clock, Banura Perera topped the podium with an 8.32 average, clear of Chahel Chiranjeev Yapa Bandara Udawela and United Kingdom entrant Rich Casey. In Skewb, Hirosh Nividu took top honors with a 7.18 average. Nividu also claimed victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning single of 1:43.95, while Perera and Udawela rounded out the podium.

Beyond the title fights, competitors throughout the draw registered major breakthroughs across the weekend. Seneth Ranjula entered six events and cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 68.5 percent down to 0.98 seconds, also trimming his Pyraminx personal best by 47.1 percent to 4.63 seconds. Yusri Ahamed recorded a 47.34 second single in 4x4x4 Cube, an improvement of 60.8 percent over his previous best, and completed his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 6.39 seconds. Chandima Wickramarachchi took fifth place in 2x2x2 Cube after dropping his personal best to 2.04 seconds, an improvement of 55.4 percent, while trying 4x4x4 Cube for the first time with a 1:14.55 mark. Navindu Sandira Nissanka tackled ten events, producing his first ever attempt at Clock with 44.18 seconds.

The progress continued across debut appearances and expanding puzzle repertoires. Sanas Mohammed Mohammed Yoosuf stepped into seven events, earning sixth place in 5x5x5 Cube while posting his first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:11.53, 3x3x3 One-Handed in 37.65, and Skewb in 7.62 seconds. Mevindu Bashitha Rajapaksha logged his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 4.87 single and lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best to 2.42 seconds. Debutants also made their presence felt, as Kaveesha Vidath Senanayake contested six events in their first WCA competition, recording an 8.62 Pyraminx single, while Kaveesh Deemantha took on six events in their initial speedcubing tournament, completing a first Skewb attempt in 13.81 seconds.

The 2023 season concluded at the Mahatma Gandhi International Centre with Sri Lankan cubers capturing 29 of the 30 available podium spots. The two days of speed cubing delivered sharp competition across every tier of the roster, testing memory, dexterity, and tactical nerve over 16 rounds. With multiple personal milestones unlocked and championship honors settled, Matale Cubing Year-End 2023 offered an emphatic final chapter to the year's competitive calendar before the next tournament circuit begins.

As the equipment was packed away, the standard set across all ten events reflected the rising depth within the region. From the single-solve precision of blindfolded puzzles to the marathon demands of multi-round brackets, this cubing competition tested every layer of preparation. The decisive victories and breakthrough attempts at Matale Cubing Year-End 2023 firmly established the benchmarks competitors will carry into the upcoming year.