He has the Last Word

Love for words and strategy made Scrabble player Madhav Gopal Kamath the first Indian to win the Youth World Scrabble Championship

- By SAMIYA CHOPRA

Scrabble has been a part of Madhav Gopal Kamath's home for as long as he can remember. The 14-year-old was first introduced to it at the age of six when he saw his father, Sudhir Kamath, play the game with a friend at home, making completely different words with the same letter tiles. Madhav was instantly hooked, and his journey with the game that would help him create history began. Today, he is the number one Scrabble player in the world under the youth category and among the top ten players across categories.

Madhav recently won the Youth World Scrabble Championship 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, becoming the first Indian to win the tournament.

"I used to play Scrabble with a friend at home, and Madhav would stand around watching us play. Once we played a word, Aediles, and Madhav said, 'You had the same tiles last week, but you made a different word'—which was Deiseal. I was amazed by his memory and understanding, and encouraged him to play with us," says his father, reflecting on how Madhav started.

Deep down, Madhav knew he would win the tournament.

"Even when I knew I had a 100 per cent chance of winning, I was focused on the game instead of thinking about winning. As I had already secured the second position twice in this championship, it was a long time coming. It is a relief to have won this," Madhav says.