World Youth Scrabble: Madhav Kamath Making His Presence Felt

All of 13, Madhav Gopal Kamath is one of India's brightest young Scrabble players and he recently finished in an impressive fourth place at the 2024 World Youth Scrabble Championship.

The young lad's remarkable performance alongside fellow Indian player Suyash Manchali marked India's best ever finish at this prestigious global event.

This year Madhav's wins at the Goa Open and the Delhi Open were the first time an under-18 player has won a major Open tournament in Indian Scrabble.

The highlights of Madhav's nascent career are 17 wins and a spread of +1111 that helped secure him a place among the top players globally, ranking fourth in a field of 136 competitors from 15 different countries.

His finish was a critical part of Team India's strongest showing to date at the WYSC, which took place from September 6-8 at Citrus Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka.

Madhav's achievements include a fourth place at the 2024 World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC). When it comes to National competitions, he regularly finishes in top positions in youth and senior national Scrabble tournaments in India.

He consistently ranks within the top contenders in international youth scrabble events, earning recognition for his potential on the global stage.

Talking about his passion for Scrabble, Madhav felt it was just a sport but in a big way.

"To me, scrabble is just a game. But I don’t mean that in the disparaging sense. A game is more than just a pastime, it’s a serious competitive sport. Cricket is a game. Football is a game. To me, at least, scrabble is just as serious a sport as those,'' he added.

Madhav was also thankful to his family and coach for the big support.

"I feel insanely lucky to have parents who are willing to send me to tournaments, occasionally alone, when there are so many people who don’t have that privilege. I truly couldn’t have achieved anywhere near what I have without such a supportive family. I also got a lot of early guidance from the other scrabble players in Delhi, which helped me a lot."

Madhav was also forthright when it comes to balancing school and training.

"School has never been a problem for me and scrabble doesn't take up much of my time. So I've never had to make a choice between school and scrabble. However, while scrabble does often clash with with my other extracurriculars (football and MUNs), I’d normally prioritise scrabble over anything else."