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2011 Causeway Scrabble Challenge by David on November 30th, 2011

The 10th Causeway Scrabble Challenge is holding from 30th November till 4th December 2011 at Zon Regency Hotel, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. There are three Divisions, namely Premier, Masters and Open. 45 rounds of Scrabble will be played in each division and Nigeria will feature in the Premier  Masters and Open division. The winner in the Premier division will take home the sum of $10,000. Representing Nigeria in the Premier division are:

• Dokun Esan
• Moshood Sanni
• Nsikan Etim
• Moses Peter
• Sunday Oshodi
• Tuoyo Mayuku (currently Nigeria’s only female Masters player)

Nigeria’s representative in the Masters Division are:

• Olajide Akinyemi
• Mpakaboari Jack
• Owokere Victor
• Olobatoke Aka
• Bob Okoridem
• Nsidibe Frank
• Chelly Okoko
• Gora Suleiman
• Emeka Mbagwu

In the Open division, Nigeria is represented by Moses Owugah.

Update: Pakorn Nemitrmansuk is the winner of the 2011 Causeway Scrabble Challenge. He won 31 games and  had a +2361 cumulative  spread to cart away the 10,000 dollars prize. Current World Champion (2011)  Nigel Richards came second with 29 wins and a spread of +1515 and in the third place was Hubert Wee 28 wins and a  +817 spread.

Team Nigeria Final Standings after 45 games

In the Premier division, a late rally by Nsikan Etim was almost enough to take him into the top 10.  And in the Masters division, Victor Owokure did enough in the last 20 games to write his name in gold among the top 4. Jack Mpakaboari won the prize for the highest game in the Master division.

Here is a summary of Team Nigeria result:

Premier Division

1. 11 Nsikan Etim 25 +989
2. 16 Sunday Oshodi 24 +256
3. 18 Moses Peter 24 -191
4. 21 Dokun Esan 23 +151
5. 30 Moshood Sanni 21.5 +345
6. 35 Tuoyo Mayuku 20.5 -465

Master Division

1. 4 Owokere Victor 28 +855
2. 12 Bob Okoridem 25 +1007
3. 20 Nsidibe Frank 24 +448
4. 23 Olobatoke Aka 23.5 +307
5. 26 Mpakaboari Jack 23 +467
6. 33 Gora Suleiman 22 +193
7. 40 Emeka Mbagwu 21 -311
8. 48 Chelly Okoko 19 +122
9. 49 Olajide Akinyemi 19 -526

Open Division

1. 23 Moses Owugah 25 +47

2011 NSF Workshop, General Assembly and Inter-Club Finals by David on November 19th, 2011

I am directed to inform you that the Nigerian Scrabble Federation (NSF) has concluded arrangement to organize the under listed activities as scheduled below:

•  Workshop for Tournament Directors/Adjudicators on the 24th and 25th November, 2011
•  NSF General Assembly on the 25th November, 2011
•  Inter Club Finals on the 26th & 27th November, 2011

I am further directed to inform you that in accordance with article 2.1 of the General Administrative Guidelines for National Sports Federation, the General Assembly shall be made up of NSF Board and (2) two delegates i.e Chairman and secretaries from each State Scrabble Federation including the FCT or their representatives.
However, Scrabble players may be allowed to attend as observers.

Please note :

1.  Any State that is willing to attend the General Assembly should submit names of their delegates to the NSF Secretary General.
2.  All presentations during the Assembly should be sent to the NSF secretariat on or before 18th November to enable the secretariat capture it in the Agenda and copies made.
3.  General Assembly starts at 7.00pm prompt.
4.  Registration for Workshop should be forwarded to the NSF Secretariat on or before 5th November, 2011.

The NSF will provide accommodation for Chairmen and Secretaries of the 36 States including FCT on 25th November, 2011 for the General Assembly.  The NSF will provide accommodation for Inter Club finalists on 26th and 27th November, 2011.

Registration fee of N25,000 will be paid by each participant.
Tournament Director Certificate will be presented to those who pass the test as Director during the workshop.

James Eakyns
Secretary General.

NSF Warsaw Visa Press Release by David on October 16th, 2011

Nigeria Scrabble Federation board has released a statement on the recent inability of the national Scrabble team to secure visas to Poland to compete at the World Championships. Full text of the release is below.

PRESS RELEASE ON THE WARSAW VISA IMBROGLIO

Dear Scrabble Family Members,

We are indeed very sad that our Team could not make the WSC in Warsaw Poland,we are hereby obliged to write this release to intimate you with the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate situation.

• We want to disabuse your mind that the situation has nothing to do with the recent past occurrences with the suspended players nor does it have anything to do with the Concessionaire.
• We couldn’t have applied earlier than we did in view of the fact that we had to conclude the Preliminaries on the one hand and we have to be sure of money to finance the whole exercise.
• Some of you may be aware that His Excellency Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom,came to our rescue on the issue of finance and as such we put in our papers.>
• The process of getting Visas for a National Team is a diplomatic issue anywhere in the world hence we couldn’t have made any move until the NOTE VERBALE was released. The note Verbale contained the name of all the members of the contingent i.e the Team members as well as the officials.
• The Note Verbale was presented to the consular but he refused to accept it insisting that we should go and send it through e-mail and that the earliest day available for interview will be on the 3rd of October, a date that will definitely make it impossible for the team to get the Visas on good time for the competition and we appealed for an earlier date; 26th of September.
• At this point we brought in The Press Team who put up a concerted effort to force the hand of the Polish embassy to give our contingent the Visa.
• The attitude of the Polish embassy becomes questionable from this point,the embassy kept on assuring us that the Visa is being processed procrastinating the issuance from day to day until it became obvious that they have no genuine intention to give us the visa albeit for what reason we cannot say.
• In order for the maintenance of our National Integrity we demanded that our Document be returned to us which they did without returning money paid for application and insurance.
• We are of the opinion that THE CONSPIRACY THEORY is at work but to whose benefit we are at sea,but we want to assure all concerned that the issue will be taken up officially and diplomatically by the right quarters
• Finally, we have taken a decision that all the members of the team denied this trip will be sponsored to the up coming CAUSEWAY in Malaysia and prior to that we are looking forwards to a National Workshop,National Congress,National Championship and a Gala Night in that order; venue and date of which will be announced later.

I on behalve of the NSF Board hereby expressed our sincere apology to our Scrabble family that such will not happen again bearing in mind that a lot of efforts on our own side had also gone down the drain.

MR FASHOLA.S.KAYODE
SOUTHWEST ZONAL REPRESENTATIVE
NIGERIA SCRABBLE FEDERATION.

Poland Embassy frustrate Nigeria Scrabble Team by David on October 13th, 2011

Nigeria is not participating in this year’s World Scrabble Championship holding from 11th-16th October 2011 in Warsaw Poland.  Visa applications for the team met a brickwall at the Polish embassy, despite the team presenting the necessary documents for visa applications. The Sec. General of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation broke the news via a press release sent via email (reproduced below) to the members this morning.

PRESS RELEASE – NIGERIA SCRABBLE TEAM VISA REFUSAL TO POLAND

The Nigerian Contingent to the World Scrabble Championship were denied entry visas to Poland yesterday  (10th October 2011), which was the last day the contingent could depart for the event; which starts holds from the 11th of October – 16th October 2011.
The refusal was despite the embassy being provided with all the necessary/ relevant documents including a note verbale from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and also a letter of Introduction from the National Sports Commission (NSC).

The contingent was refused entry visas even though visa applications were submitted since on the 19th of September 2011 (22 days ago).

This act is viewed as a deliberate attempt at preventing Nigeria from participating in the World Scrabble Championship which has never happened before!

JAMES EAKYNS
Secretary General

Updates from the 2011 Classics by David on September 9th, 2011

You can follow the events happening in Uyo at the Godswill Akpabio International Classics 2011 using the links below.

1. Tournament Schedule
2. Opening Ceremony
3. Players
4. Results
5. Recorded Games
6. Closing

The 5th Godwill Akpabio Classics by David on August 11th, 2011

The 5th edition of  the Godswill Akpabio Scrabble Classics will take place from the 8th to 11th of September in Uyo Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel. Scrabble players of all ages are invited from all over the world to compete in this prestigious International Scrabble event.  The event is divided into 4 divisions/categories which are Master, Intermediate, Veteran and Open categories. Nigeria will use the tournament to further prepare her contingent to the World Scrabble Championship coming up in Warsaw Poland soon.  The winner in the Masters category is expected to take home $12,000 (twelve thousand dollars) and a giant trophy.

Please visit the Godswill Akpabio Classics  information page for tournament format, registration and further information on the tournament. Updates  and online coverage of this event will be available here on the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Website.

Nigeria’s WSC 2011 Representatives by David on August 9th, 2011

The NSF has concluded her WSC Qualifiers to select players who will represent Nigeria at the upcoming World Scrabble Championship.  Based on the selection modalities, results and ratings, the following persons have been selected to hoist Nigerian flag at the WSC in Warsaw, Poland.

Players

• Moses Peter
• Esan Oladokun
• Moshood Sanni
• Nsikan Etim
• Oshodi Sunday

Reserves

• Onoshevwe Noble
• Ogbonyomi Friday
• Balogun Rasheed
• Edewor Bobor
• Ogbogu Azu