From an IMSA student and participant at the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship to the 2025 USA Memory Championship podium
Some achievements are special because of the medal.
Others are special because of the journey behind them.
Dhruv Meher Thogarchedu’s journey in Memory Sport is one of those stories.
A student of the Indian Memory Sports Academy, Dhruv has steadily progressed through different levels of competition — from training with IMSA to travelling from New Jersey to Hyderabad to compete at the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship 2024, representing the USA at the World Memory Championship in Türkiye later that year, and eventually finishing as 2nd Runner-Up at the 2025 USA Memory Championship.
For us at IMSA, Dhruv's journey is particularly meaningful because we have had the opportunity to be part of it.
A Young Memory Athlete With Roots In Hyderabad
Dhruv and his family have their roots in Hyderabad and are now based in New Jersey, USA.
Despite living thousands of kilometres away, their connection with Hyderabad and with Memory Sport remained strong.
When the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship 2024 was held in Hyderabad, Dhruv made the journey all the way from New Jersey to participate.
The championship itself brought together 180 participants from 3 countries, 14 states, 60 towns and cities, and 74 schools, creating a diverse platform for memory athletes from different backgrounds and age groups.
For Dhruv, it was an opportunity to compete in India and experience a national championship environment.
For IMSA, it was a memorable moment to see a student training from overseas make the journey to Hyderabad and become part of the championship.
The official World Memory Championships also lists the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship as a qualifying national event held in Hyderabad on 20 October 2024, with Dr. P. Srinivas Kumar as Chief-in-Charge.
From Hyderabad To Türkiye
Dhruv's journey did not stop with the Indian National Championship.
Later in 2024, he took another major step by competing at the 33rd World Memory Championship in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The World Memory Championship was held in Istanbul in December 2024 and brought together athletes from 21 countries competing across ten memory disciplines.
Dhruv competed in the Junior category, representing the USA.
According to the official World Memory Championship results, Dhruv Meher Thogarchedu completed the ten-discipline competition with 882 overall points.
Competing at a World Memory Championship is an experience in itself.
The event brings together memory athletes from different countries, each using their own preparation, strategies and techniques to compete across disciplines such as Names & Faces, Numbers, Binary Numbers, Words, Dates, Cards, Images and Spoken Numbers.
For a young athlete, being part of such an international field provides exposure that goes beyond the results sheet.
It is an opportunity to compete, observe, learn and understand what it takes to perform on a global stage.
And for Dhruv, this became another important chapter in his journey.
A Father Who Believed In The Journey
Behind every young athlete's progress, there is often a support system that makes the journey possible.
For Dhruv, one of the strongest pillars has been his father, Srikanth Thogarchedu, a Hyderabad-based NRI living in New Jersey.
From supporting Dhruv's training to making the journeys to Hyderabad, Türkiye and the USA possible, his encouragement has been an important part of Dhruv's development.
His support has also extended beyond Dhruv. Srikanth has been a strong supporter of IMSA's efforts, and at the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship 2024 he encouraged participants to remain persistent, recognising that setbacks are part of every champion's journey.
From The World Stage To The USA Podium
The next chapter came in 2025.
Dhruv competed in the USA Memory Championship, a competition designed specifically for mental athletes and built around memory games including Names, Numbers, Images, Words and Cards. The USA Memory Championship conducts qualifying events followed by a championship final.
Dhruv competed in the 2025 qualifying round and recorded 422.1 championship points, placing him eighth in the qualifying results. The official results document his performances across Cards, Images, Names, Numbers and Words.
He then went on to achieve an even bigger milestone:
2nd Runner-Up at the 2025 USA Memory Championship
That podium finish became a significant achievement in Dhruv's journey as a memory athlete.
A Journey Across Three Major Platforms
In just a short period, Dhruv's journey connected three important competitive experiences:
🇮🇳 2024 — Indian National Open Memory Championship
Hyderabad, India
Dhruv travelled from New Jersey to Hyderabad to compete at the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship.
🌍 2024 — World Memory Championship
Istanbul, Türkiye
Dhruv represented the USA in the Junior category at the 33rd World Memory Championship and completed the competition with 882 overall points.
🇺🇸 2025 — USA Memory Championship
United States
Dhruv progressed through the USA championship competition and finished as 2nd Runner-Up.
These are not simply three competitions.
Together, they represent a progression from learning and training to national competition, international exposure and an international podium finish.
Memory Sport Has No Borders
One of the most beautiful aspects of Memory Sport is its ability to connect people across countries.
A young athlete can train with an academy in India, live in the United States, travel to India for a national championship, compete in Türkiye at a World Championship and then stand on the podium at a USA championship.
Dhruv's journey is a wonderful example of that international nature of Memory Sport.
Hyderabad → New Jersey → Hyderabad → Türkiye → USA podium.
Different countries.
Different competitions.
One continuous journey.
A Proud Moment For IMSA
For the Indian Memory Sports Academy, seeing a student progress from training to international competition and eventually to a podium finish is deeply encouraging.
It reinforces one of the principles we believe in:
Memory Sport is a skill that can be learned, developed and pursued at any age.
But training alone does not create a champion.
It requires dedication from the athlete, guidance from trainers, encouragement from family and opportunities to compete.
Dhruv's journey brings all of these elements together.
The Journey Is Still Young
A 2nd Runner-Up finish is an achievement worth celebrating.
But it is also another milestone in a much longer journey.
Dhruv has already experienced:
National competition in India.
A World Memory Championship in Türkiye.
And a podium finish at the USA Memory Championship.
There are many more challenges ahead.
And we hope to see Dhruv continue to learn, compete and grow as a memory athlete.
From A Student To An International Podium Finisher
In 2024, Dhruv travelled from New Jersey to Hyderabad to compete at the 15th Indian National Open Memory Championship.
Later that year, he stood among the world's young memory athletes at the World Memory Championship in Istanbul.
In 2025, he reached the podium at the USA Memory Championship.
The locations changed.
The competitions changed.
But the fundamental journey remained the same:
Learn. Practise. Compete. Improve. Repeat.
That is the journey of a memory athlete.
And for IMSA, it is a privilege to have been part of Dhruv's journey.
Congratulations, Dhruv Meher Thogarchedu, on your 2nd Runner-Up finish at the 2025 USA Memory Championship.
And to Srikanth Thogarchedu — thank you for believing in Dhruv, for supporting his journey across competitions and countries, and for standing behind the larger vision of Memory Science and Memory Sport.
From Hyderabad to New Jersey, from the Indian national stage to the World Championship in Türkiye, and from training to the USA podium — Dhruv's journey continues.
