The serene town of Ewu in Esan Central, Edo State, experienced its inaugural scrabble competition, marking a historic moment as champions from various tournaments gathered for a 10-round clash of words and numbers.
The event served as a fitting tribute to the late Elder Godwin Egbele, whose son, Emmanuel Egbele, is the South-west coordinator of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation.
Wellington Jighere, the only African to clinch a world title, set the stage for an illustrious cast of scrabble champions, including 2023 Pan-African Scrabble Association (PANASA) Youth Champion David Ojih, Mindgames Premier League Division A champion Hurricanes Jimoh Abdulmumeen, D’Warriors’ Division B champion Khaleel Adedeji, and the “King of Scrabble In The Jungle” Musa Lateef.
Emmanuel Enyi, who secured back-to-back wins in the Opens category at the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament (EEAST), added to the star-studded lineup.
In a symbolic arena infused with the solemnity of Elder Godwin Egbele’s burial ceremony, 14 other players joined the Scrabble stars for the historic competition.
After 10 intense rounds of games, Abdulmumeen from Kogi State emerged victorious with 8 wins and 2 losses, accumulating +699 cumulative points.
Tunde Saporu from Ogun State finished with an equal record of 8 wins, but his slightly lower cumulative points (+585) secured the second position. Wellington Jighere claimed the third spot in this remarkable gathering of scrabble talent.
Joy Ola from Plateau State was honoured with the Best Female title in recognition of her outstanding performance.
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During the brief closing ceremony, all players were presented with prizes, and Emmanuel Egbele expressed gratitude to the participants.
He remarked, “To say that I’m impressed is an understatement. Your presence here in Ewu town has put a smile on my face, especially at this time when we lost my father.
I’m glad that the Scrabble family has once again identified with our family at this point. We are very grateful for showing us love at this time.”
The convener of EEAST and the South-west Closed tournaments acknowledged the players for adding colour, quality, and panache to the ceremony and, by extension, to Ewu town.
