Nigeria emerge champions of 2016 Africa Scrabble Championship

Effah

December 19, 2016 2:48 PM

Nigeria was the best team and continue their dominance on the continent.

Nigeria’s scrabble team were champions of the 2016 edition of the Africa Scrabble Championship that took place in Ghana from 15th to the 18th of December.

The four-day event saw 58 players from five African countries - Ghana, Nigeria, Kanya, Uganda and Sierra Leone compete.

After the tournament, Nigeria still emerged the best and first scrabble team on the continent taking the first to fifth positions. Team Kenya came second in the tournament.

The overall best scrabbler and player who accrued the most points in the tournament was Nigeria’s Saidu Ayorinde. Kenya’s Nderitu Gitonga was adjudged the best competitor of the tournament, he came 6th out of the 58 players.

Placca Chrys was Ghana’s best-placed player in the 2016 Africa Scrabble Championship, he placed 13th out of the 58 scrabblers.

President of the Ghana Scrabble Association, George Addo speaking after the closing ceremony said the tournament was a successful one. He also opined that Nigeria was the best team and continue the dominance on the continent.

“Ghana performed creditably; about three players from Ghana were in the first 20,” he said.

He also added that team Ghana did not prepare adequately for the tournament, nevertheless, the team put out their best. Mr Addo also added that the future of scrabble in Ghana looks bleak. “Funding and sponsorship is a big challenge for the sports in Ghana.”

On his part the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation and President of the Pan-African Scrabble Association, Sulaiman Garba Gora said even though Ghana accepted to host the tournament in a short notice after the initial host, Gambia pulled out it was keenly contested and successful event.

“It has been wonderful and I will appreciate the effort of the various teams; the future for scrabble in Africa is bright,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria is the best scrabble team in the whole world because they have it as part of their curriculum in their education and its taken serious across the country. “The future of scrabble in Africa is the schools, let us look at the youth and develop them.”

Uganda will be the next host of the African Scrabble Championship in 2018. Meanwhile, Kenya will host the World Scrabble Championship next year.

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