PETALING JAYA: An 11-year-old Malaysian emerged champion in the WCA (World Cube Association) World Championship 2019 held in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday (July 14) in the speedcubing with feet category.
Lim Hung also made history by being the first Malaysian to clinch the top prize in the biennial world championship.
He clocked in at 23.29s (average) and 17.10s (single), which means he is currently ranked second in the world for speedcubing (the 3x3x3) with feet.
A private school student from Petaling Jaya, Lim was also the youngest competitor in his category. He beat 59 competitors from 21 countries to grab the top spot.
“Now, I’m officially ranked second fastest in the world. I’m happy that I made it,” said Lim, when contacted via WhatsApp.
The weather in Melbourne initially posed a potential challenge for him.
“It’s winter here, and I can’t do well if it’s cold, so I did not expect to win,” he said.
Having taken part in 28 competitions to date, Sunday night’s championship was by far his toughest.
“All the world-class cubers were here. I was nervous to meet them and compete together.”
So what’s next for the young cuber?
“I will work towards the world record, I guess. It’s pretty hard though, but I’ll try my best,” said Lim, who might explore other categories such as speedcubing blindfolded next.
Lim’s mother, who accompanies him to all his local and overseas competitions, is no doubt very proud of her son.
“This is his biggest competition and highest achievement so far. I feel blessed and so honoured that he is the first Malaysian, and also the youngest, to obtain this award,” shared Joyce Peh, 43.
Peh hopes that he will be a good example and an inspiration to others.
“Winning the game is not final, as no one will always win. It’s okay to fail, as long as you learn from your mistakes. Good attitude will bring one further. I hope that he will always be humble and continue to open his heart to new challenges,” she said.
Peh has this advice for parents: “Let kids have their play time. They will surprise you.”
The WCA World Championship is a biennial event. For more info, go to wc2019.speedcubing.org.au/en
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