Houston: A team of Tamil-origin students has won the Scandinavian regional championship of the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition, earning the right to represent the region at the FIRST Championship World Festival to be held in Houston, the United States, in April 2026.

The winning team, The Lore Miners, comprises nine students from Asker International School in Norway. The team clinched the title at the Scandinavian finals held in Norway on November 29, which saw participation from 544 teams from Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The FIRST LEGO League, regarded as one of the world's largest science and technology competitions for children and youth, has been organised in the Scandinavian region since 2000. This year's competition challenged teams to develop technology- and robotics-based solutions to problems faced by archaeologists.

Members of the winning team include Harshith Rithvin, Kavin Kanungo, Rishi Akhil, Ruthik Prabhu, Ved Vidhi and Vishwa Sanjay, all students of Class IX. Except for Kanungo, who hails from Maharashtra, the remaining members are of Tamil origin. The team is mentored by Senthilkumar, also a Tamilian.

The winners received a cash prize of around Rs 4.5 lakh. Indian Ambassador to Norway Gloria Gangte congratulated the team for their achievement.

The team will now represent the Scandinavian countries at the world-level championship in Houston next year.