Mumbai's very own Rohan Udani has achieved a breakthrough for India on the global puzzling stage, qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Jigsaw Championship (WJF) 2025 at Valladolid, Spain.
The development marks the first time an Indian has entered the semi-finals in the Open category without relying on the World Jigsaw Federation’s country play off rule. In past years, Indian participants advanced only through this route, which gives countries without second-round qualifiers a chance to progress.
This is a huge milestone moment for India in competitive puzzling, putting the country firmly on the international map.
Making the achievement even more remarkable, Rohan was also part of a Guinness World Record created at the world championship by a team of 400 participants who successfully completed 40,320 pieces in just 26 minutes!
This will be featured in the 2026 Guinness Book of World Records.
A Grade 11 IBDP student at The Cathedral & John Connon School, Mumbai, Rohan Udani has been solving puzzles since the age of 1.5 years. His passion has led him to another record breaking feat of completing India’s largest single-image puzzle of 42,000 pieces (unveiled at the Museum of Solutions,Mumbai in August 2025).
“Puzzling has sharpened my own skills, especially in maths, so I wanted to understand what it does to the brain,” said Rohan , who is now researching the link between puzzling, brain waves and cognitive growth. “It’s also important to share these benefits with others, which is why I’m creating puzzle-based learning programs for under-resourced, differently-abled and children of incarcerated parents, and running a wellness campaign that encourages brain fitness, memory training and digital balance.”
“Competing at the World Championship taught me the value of building global connections. It’s a moment of pride to represent India on such a prestigious stage.”
“Puzzling is my sport,” Rohan said after his semi-final qualification. He intends on building a vibrant puzzling community in India. His ultimate goal, he added, is to see puzzling recognised as an Olympic sport.
With Rohan’s achievement, India has marked its place in the world of competitive puzzling — a landmark moment likely to inspire many more young enthusiasts
