6-year-old Ahmedabad girl creates Guinness Record in solving the Rubik's Cube

Six-year-old Kanika Bhagtiya from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the youngest Indian cuber to solve a 3×3 multi cube. Starting when she was just 4 years old, Kanika learned how to solve the Rubik's cube within just two months. Currently, she can successfully solve the eight most challenging types of Rubik's cubes.

Kanika's father Keyur Bhagatia says she was just four-and-a-half years old then. We had visited a birthday party some time before the COVID wave hit. Kanika received a (Rubik's) cube as a return gift. She did a single (side of) colour and brought it to me saying that she wants to solve the cube. So, we found an academy nearby where she learnt how to solve basic cubes. That is where her whole journey started from, he adds.

A major inspiration for the young cube-master is Saina Nehwal. Kanika says she saw her father watching Saina Nehwal's movie.
"One time, daddy was watching Saina Nehwal's movie. I asked him what he was watching. He told me that she plays badminton (and has won medals). I asked papa what medals were. So, he told me that one cannot get medals merely by buying them. One has to practice, and never accept defeat," she says.

Besides solving cubes, Kanika also does skating and modelling. She holds eight international records, including the World Record for “Maximum Different Types Of Rubik’s Cubes Solved While Doing Inline Skating”. Parv Pandyaya, Kanika's skating coach says she has been learning skating with him for around 1.5 to 2 years. 

She has taken part in both state level and national level championships, and has won with good ranks. She has participated in National Championships in Goa, Agra, Surat Baroda, etc., and has made great records in skating, Pandyaya adds. 

Although Kanika is only six years old, she competes with much older and experienced participants and often wins against them. With complete support from her parents, she hopes to achieve more success in the future.