Blazers Makes MindGames Scrabble Premier League History As Champion

Team Blazers created history on Sunday by winning the first-ever Scrabble Premier League title in the country at the final weekend of season held at the Lilygate Hotel in Lagos to take home the top prize of one million naira and a giant trophy.

The team consisting of Oshevire Avwenagha,Cyril Umebiye, Sylvanus Ikpere, George Ezinore, Tega Okiemute, Larry Itua and Florence Akhiri moved above other strong contending 11 teams with a total win of 40 wins and 15 defeats after a gruelling 55 games of top scrabble action played in Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Lagos.

Team Brainiacs, Airpopper, Phoenix and Tekena Drones who earned the second, third, fourth and fifth positions received 500,000, 300,000, 200,000 and 100,000 naira respectively.

Teams Supreme, Hurricanes, Olowoyeye Predators, Gracious Pickers, Bulldozers, Lekki Bombers and FRSC Roadies completed the 12-team League.

The Most Valuable Player Award along with a cash prize of 100, 000 naira was covet by Eta Karo of Team Brainiacs while Bukunmi Afolayan got some cash award for the best dressed female player.

  “After placing third on Match Day One” Team Manager/Player Avwenagha said revealing the strategy that turned the momentum in their favour , “And then came second in Abuja,  I called my other teammates and we agreed that we must have a three-game lead at every time and that’s what worked for us. We already knew we were coming to Lagos for a picnic ”He concluded. 

During the Awards and Gala Night filled with glitz and glamour, initiator of the MSPL Lukeman Owolabi,  who is also a scrabble player urged individuals and corporate entities to lend their weight behind the lofty idea of  creating  an atmosphere for scrabble to be attractive.

He further revealed that the 2020 season of the MSPL will have two cadre; Division A and B.

Chairman of the occasion, the immediate past Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Okechukwu Enelamah through a representative commended the MGI Chief on his efforts for bringing top players within and outside the country to compete in a league wrapped in high standards  and professionalism.

 

One of the founding fathers of scrabble in Nigerian retired General Gold Eburu said he was elated with the level the sports has attained through the efforts of Mindgames Incorporated to push organising tournaments to professional standard.

The MindGames Scrabble Premier League is the only championship where players organise themselves into teams and play a in round robin format across the country. 

Lagos Athletes Win N2.4m At Akpabio Scrabble Classics

Lagos State Government has been reaping the fruits of grassroots sports development as many of the state's budding athletes have won laurels in both national and international championship.

One of such successes was Team Lagos' outing at the just concluded Godwin Akpabio International Scrabble Competition in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at the weekend.

John Ayedun, who was part of the Team Lagos scrabble team at the Eko 2012 National Sports Festival and who has been given full employment by the Lagos State Government, won the Open Category in the final with a star prize of one point one million naira .

Another Lagos athlete, Ayo Adekunle, who came second in the open cadre was rewarded with the sum of five hundred and forty thousand naira.

In the intermediate category, a Lagos athlete, James Ewruje,  came second and he was a proud winner of eight hundred thousand naira making a total of two point four hunred and forty thousnad naira.

Chairman of Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, said he was not surprised with the feat recorded by Team Lagos at the Akpabio tourney, because the association has been engaging them in series of competitions such as the Lagos International Scrabble Classics and the DAWN Games 2014.

Director of Sports of Lagos State Sports Council, Kweku Tandoh, who was in Uyo with the athletes, thanked the state's Sports Commissioner, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, for supporting the team to feature in the competition. 

Nigeria Is Among Strong Scrabble Playing Nations,Says Gora

In a bid to promote the game of Scrabble, the Nigeria Scrabble Federation,NSF, has introduced Spelling - Bee competition among the pupils in primary and secondary schools, in Nigeria.

Its Pesident, Sulaimon Gora, who made this statement in an interview with sportsweight.blogspot.com, said the gesture which had led to the increase in the number of Youth Scrabble Academies in Nigeria had been accepted by three states of the federation.

While explaining that the Federal Government needs to invest in sports in a bid to build a virile society through the leaders of tomorrow, said the Federation presented a large number of youth scrabble players in the last Youth Championship in Dubai in order to garner enough experience and to acquint themselves with  international scrabble championship.

Gora, said he was delighted over the maiden of Lagos International scrabble classics because Nigeria would be the only scrabble playing nation that has been able to stage two world class international scrabble classics (the Godswill Akpabio Scrabble Classics and the ongoing Lagos International scrabble classics), stressing that having two scrabble classic shows that Nigeria is very vast in the game of scrabble.

The NSF President, who commends Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for deeming it necessary to include Scrabble in the Lagos International Sports Classics which has ten different Sports, adding that the state has proven to be the "Centre of Excellence"  with the introduction of  international Sports Classics.

He said Nigerian Scrabble players were among the best ten scrabble players in the world as the nation's first- two scrabble players could withstand any scrabble player in the world based on the determination and commitment of Nigerian players to the game.

Meanwhile, a scrabble player,Osikhena Ojior, says the ongoing Lagos International scrabble classic  at the Sir Molade Okaya-Thomas Sportshall will help drive the sport among Nigerian young scrabble players.

"Heart warning to have the classic apart the Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classic which has been in existence for 7 years". The competition will help drive the sport especially among the young ones over major plans".

"Ojior, who has been playing the game since 1982, said the current board of Nigeria scrabble Federation, NSF, under Sulaimon Gora, had been able to add value to the sport by introducing the sport  to pupils at the primary and secondary schools.

"The next phase of developing scrabble is to engage the younger ones basically at the primary and secondary schools level.It the last 10 years, we have been looking for ways to incorporate corporate bodies.
"Draws back of the sport is that corporate bodies see scrabble as a non-spectator sport. "But it  is far from it. Scrabble has a distinct advantage of developing ones intellect and  ability to plan ahead".

While describing scrabble as a sport that develop individual's intellect, said inability of corporate bodies to have adequate knowledge of the sport had affected the growth of the sport which has produced world's great scrabble stars.

He said Nigerian scrabble players clinched the first and second position at the last Godswill Akpabio International scrabble players which paraded former and current world's scrabble champions.

"Nigerian scrabble players held the 1st and 2nd position during the last Godswill Akpabio scrabble which feature current and former World scrabble players Nigeria.

Nigeria is among the top five scrabble players in the world as Samio Okosagba who resides in USA came 3rd at the World scrabble event in Poland. Inability to secure visa for Nigerian scrabble also deprived  the nation's presentation to win laurels at the last world scrabble championship in Poland.

He said Thailand had been able to produce world's great scrabble players because over seven thousand scrabble young players always participate in the event.

"Over 7,000 kinds feature in a scrabble event  sponsored by the nation's king. Thailand is a non -English speaking country but today they have been to develop that they produced a scrabble world champions.

4.8 Milion Naira At Stake For Lagos International Scrabble Classics.

The organizers of the Lagos International Scrabble Classics have staked four point eight million naira  for the tournament holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

With top players from United States, England, Ghana, Scotland and Kenya already confirmed for the four-day championship, with the star prize pegged at One point two million naira, while winners in each category will smile home with mouthwatering prize money.

Aside countries like United States, England, Scotland, Ghana and Kenya that have confirmed their participations; Ethiopia is the latest nation to join the fray for the championship.

Confirming this yesterday, Chairman, Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, said Ethiopia was the latest country although Uganda has signified interest to be part of the tournament also.

Among the top players expected at the competition include Nigeria-born United States’ Sammy Okosagah, a two-time winner of the Akpabio tournament as well as Nigeria-born Scotland Lukmon Owolabi.

Also, a special invitational category for professionals who are expected to pay participation fee of N50, 000 will be part of the event while the proceeds going into a developmental programme.

 The tournament will kick off on Thursday with players competing in three events – masters/international, intermediate and opens.

United States, England, Scotland, Kenya,Ghana To Participate In Lagos International Scrabble Classics.

United States, England, Ghana, Scotland and Kenya have been listed for the Lagos International Scrabble Classics holding this month at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The tournament which  is part of the Lagos Sports Classics and is expected to attract top players from across the globe has been approved by the World English Language Scrabble Players Association , WESPA, and its been supported by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation.

According to the Chairman, Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, the tournament would also have a special invitational category for captains of industry who are expected to pay participation fee of fifty thousand naira with the proceeds going into a developmental programme.

“We are not only looking at the tournament alone, but to look at how we can develop the sport at grassroots level and that is why we will be having the special category for captains of industry with the proceeds from the participation fee going into a developmental programme in schools.

The winner of this division will decide the school that will benefit from the initiative. For us, we are trying to encourage support from this professionals,” Alao said.

He stressed that the proceed from the participation fee would go into developmental programme in schools as the winner of the category would decide the school that would benefit from the initiative.

28 games will be played across the three categories as all foreign internationals (and Nigeria-based Masters players) will play in the Masters category while the two other categories will be for non-masters local players. The dictionary for the championship will be Collins CSW12 only.

 The tournament will kick off on Thursday through Sunday  with players competing in three events – masters/international, intermediate and opens as a total of twenty eight games will be played across the three categories.

Foreign internationals and Nigeria-based Masters players will play in the Masters category while the two other categories will be for non-masters local players.