Ahmedabad i-Hub Hosts West Zonal Crossword Championships with 60 Teams Competing

The i-Hub in Ahmedabad turned into a battleground of wits and words as it hosted the West Zonal Round of the National Inter College Crossword Expedition (NICE 2025) and the City Round of the National Inter School Cryptic Crossword Contest (CCCC 13.0). The dual event brought together some of the sharpest young minds from colleges and schools across the region.

A total of 25 college teams that qualified through online rounds competed fiercely in the zonal round of NICE 2025. The contest kicked off with a written preliminary round, following which the top six teams advanced to the high-stakes on-stage finals. After a tense and intellectually stimulating showdown, the final rankings were as follows:

• Winner: Samruddhi Salgaonkar – Goa Dental College
• First Runner-Up: Panchal Karan and Parikh Aadil – Govt. Polytechnic, Gandhinagar
• Second Runner-Up: Makwana Meet and Thumar Maitri – Dr. S&SS Gandhi Government College, Surat

These top three teams have earned the honour of representing the West Zone in the NICE 2025 Grand Finale, scheduled to take place later this year in New Delhi.

Simultaneously, the event also featured the City Round of the 13th edition of the National Inter School Cryptic Crossword Contest (CCCC 13.0). A total of 35 school teams took part in this highly anticipated round, showcasing exceptional skill and lateral thinking. After a closely contested battle, the results were:

• Winner: Bagban Adi and Ghanchi Arkan, (Ankur High School, Ahmedabad)
• First Runner-Up: Kalash Gangwani and Aditya Mandora (St. Udyam School of Children)
• Second Runner-Up: Karan Tekwani and Krish Parikh, (St. Kabir School, Ahmedabad)

The winning school team from Ankur High School now qualifies directly for the CCCC 13.0 Grand Finale, slated for November in New Delhi.

The event witnessed the presence of several esteemed dignitaries who encouraged and inspired the participants with their words and presence:

Shri Bipin Talati (IAS) – Director, Technical Education Department, Gujarat,Mr. Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO, i-Hub, Mr. Jaykumar Joshi, Program Head, i-Hub and Mr. Ketan Modi. The event was conducted with great energy and finesse by Unsa Siddiqui from Extra C, the organization spearheading these nationwide crossword contests.

All eyes now turn to IIT Guwahati, which will host the North East Zonal Final of NICE 2025, along with the CCCC 13.0 City Round, on August 22, 2025.

The National Inter College Crossword Expedition (NICE) and the Cryptic Crossword Contest (CCCC) continue to grow as premier platforms promoting logical reasoning, linguistic dexterity, and mental agility among students nationwide.