The annual week-long festivities organized by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation concluded fittingly on Sunday with the NSF Awards and Gala Night.
The 2024 NSF Scrabble Festival featured the Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship, the Federation's Annual General Meeting, the NSF Inter-Club Challenge Finals, and the Awards and Gala Night.
The Awards and Gala Night saw the presence of the Ogun State Commissioner of Sports, Honourable Isiaka Wasiu, the Head of the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Mr Gbolahun Okeowo, the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Engineer Toke Aka, the chairman of the Ogun State Scrabble Association (OSSA), Adekoyejo Adegbesan, and the Technical Director of the Federation, John Curtis. It also honored the best players of the 2023 Scrabble season and the winners of the two major events at the Scrabble Festival.
Enoch Nwali clinched the 2024 Asaph Zadok National Championship with 20 wins and a draw from 28 games, achieving a +1220 cumulative spread. He was honored by the Ogun State Commissioner of Sports, Isiaka Wasiu, who served as the guest of honor at the Awards night, and was awarded the NSF Green Jacket.
In the individual category, the second position was secured by Lagos State's John Aiyedun, while Ogun State's Oluwatimilehin Doko finished third.
In the Team event of the National Championship, Team Delta claimed the 1st position, with Lagos State securing the second place.
Host Ogun State finished commendably in 3rd place with 93 victories and a +2684 points.
The NSF Inter-Club Challenge title was clinched by Pyramid Scrabble Club of Lagos, led by scrabble warriors John Aiyedun, Dipo Akanbi, Ayomisipo Akinfemisoye, Olawole Ogedengbe, Adegboyegha Akintokun, and Osaghaede Omijeh.
Surulere SC, featuring a star-studded team including captain Olumide Oyejide, Hakeem Olaribighe, Opeyemi Oloro Joseph Okere, Olatunde Adigun, and Sunday Ituah, secured the 2nd position in the Inter-Club Finals.
UNILAG SC, initially leading on Day 1 and 2 until Pyramids SC claimed the first spot, finished 3rd. Their team included prominent players like African Champion Enoch Nwali, West Africa Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, Musa Lateef, Africa Youth Scrabble Champion David Ojih, Tunde Saporu, Kareem Jamiu, and Babajide Alagbada.
Oluwatimilehin Doko of UNILAG Scrabble Club was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the NSF Inter-Club Challenge, winning 24 out of 30 points, and also received the Longest Number One on the Rating Award for the 2023 season.
Sylvanus Ikpere was named the Most Improved Male Player - 2023.
Joy Ola, the 13th African Games gold medalist, was recognized as the Most Improved Female Player of the outgoing scrabble season.
Tega Okiemute was honored with the award for the most rated games in the 2023 season.
All the winners were generously rewarded for their outstanding performances in the 2023 season and the Scrabble Festival.
Current African Scrabble Champion and University of Lagos undergraduate, Enock Nwali, has won the 2024 Asaph Zadok National Championship title. He won 20 games, drew 1 and accumulated a +1220 spread after 28 rounds of games. (more…)
The general guidelines governing the Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship, scheduled to hold from 15th - 17th April, 2024 in Ijebu-Ode (Ogun State), are as detailed below:
The general guidelines governing the NSF Inter-Club Challenge Competition Grand Finale - 2023/2024, scheduled to hold from 19th - 21st April, 2024 in Ijebu-Ode (Ogun State), are as detailed in the Table below:
The 2024 National Scrabble Festival will commence from the 15th to the 21st of April in Abeokuta Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state. The festival is a major event organised annually by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation and it comprises of two tournaments viz; the Asaph Zadok National Championship and the NSF Inter Club Challenge. The Annual General Meeting of the Federation will be held during the festival which will be rounded up with an Awards and Gala night.
Twelve Scrabble clubs have already qualified to vie for honours in Ogun State during the Inter-Club Challenge. Each state of the federation is expected to present players to compete at the Asaph Zadok National Championship. The winner of the championship will be presented with a trophy, cash prize and a green jacket designated for the national champion.
Delta State are the defending champions of the Asaph Zadok National Championship, while Eta Paul Karo is the holder of the National Championship title. Warri Scrabble Club are the defending champions of the Inter-Club Challenge.
Further information on the modalities and time-table for the two events will be posted soon.
Click here for guidelines for the 2024 Inter-Club Challenge Finals
The lineup for the NSF Inter Club Challenge Abeokuta-2024 is now complete following the South-South Zonal Play-off in Benin City, Edo State. Benin Scrabble Club, Victory Scrabble Club of Warri, and Uyo Scrabble Club have secured their spots for the finals in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Benin Scrabble Club led the pack with 10 wins and a cumulative points of plus 1287, followed by Victory Club with 9 wins and plus 1390 points. Uyo Scrabble Club, despite a tough run, garnered 6 wins. Unfortunately, Yenagoa Scrabble Club could not make it to the finals, finishing at the bottom with a minus 1035 cumulative points.
In the South-West playoff, UNILAG Scrabble Club, under the leadership of Enoch Nwali, dominated their group with three wins, securing their place in the finals alongside other clubs like Pyramid Scrabble Club and Surulere Scrabble Club. Surulere Club made it to the NSF Inter Club Challenge finals as winners of the second chance playoff of the South West Zone. They edged out Ibadan Scrabble Club and Lekki Scrabble Club with, three wins and a plus 450 cumulative points.
28 clubs from 13 states and the Nigeria Police Club competed in the qualifiers to make it to the finals. The NSF Inter Club Challenge promises intense competition at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta between April 15 to 21, 2024. The qualifiers are as follows:
Apart from the Inter Club Challenge, other events lined up for the NSF Scrabble Festival include the Asaph Zadok National Championship, the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the Awards and Gala Night.
Edited from news stories by Maxwell Kumoye
