Nigeria successfully defended her title as the best Scrabble playing nation at the 2nd edition of WESPAC (World English Language Scrabble Players Association Championship) tournament held from the 6th to 12th of November 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. The championship tournament featured 119 players from 30 countries who played 32 round-robin games each at the end of which two finalists emerged. At the first edition of WESPAC held in 2015 in Perth, Australia, Nigeria's Jighere Wellington emerged world champion. This edition also produced a superlative performance from another Nigerian, Mr Moses Peter, a top Scrabble player and captain of our team.
Moses Peter finished the 32 games in second (2nd) place with 22 wins +1762 behind Akshay Bhandarkar of Bahrain who had 23 wins and +1082 spread. The two players played a best-of-7 finals where Moses Peter gallantly lost 3-4. 
Bhandarkar won the 1st and 3rd games. Moses Peter made sure he was not left behind by winning the 2nd and 4th games. He then pulled ahead with a 3rd win in the 5th game. Bhandarkar then needed to win the last 2 games for the title which he did. For his efforts, Bhandarkar went home with $7,000 and a trophy while Peter got $6,000 and a trophy. In third place was Nigel Richards of New Zealand, arguably the best player on the planet whom Peter had to defeat in round 32 to qualify for the finals.
Overall, our representatives were expected to put up a formidable challenge at the tournament and they did not disappoint. 2016 champion Wellington Jighere with 21 wins +1181 spread, finished strongly in fourth place while Olaiya Kabir (6th), Eta Karo (9th) and Dennis Ikekeregor (13th) also rallied to ensure Nigeria dominated the top 15 places. Worthy of note also in 11th position was former African champion, Nigeria's Femi Awowade who represented England at the championship. With the team performance, Nigeria retained her title as WESPAC Best Scrabble Playing Nation.
Photos used courtesy of the 2017 WESPAC event website and various sources online.
The 9th edition of the prestigious Scrabble Championship will be held from 27th to 3oth of September 2017 at Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, South-South Nigeria. The tournament will be chaired by His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (Pillar of Scrabble in Africa) and hosted by the Executive Governor, Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. All players, local and international are invited to participate and enjoy great hospitality and the splendid tourism attractions the beautiful city of Uyo has on offer.
This years tournament will feature five (5) divisions including the Youth category for secondary and primary school students. The eventual Champion will take home a trophy and the ten thousand US dollar (N4,000,000 or $10,000 ) cash prize. There are also prizes for the top performing ladies/female players. Detailed information on the prize distribution, registration, travel and other details are available here.
Please confirm your rating by clicking here before payment and registration. Rating after WESPAC Qualifiers shall be used for this tournament.
Registration has commenced. Click here to register.
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Top Nigerian Scrabble players and officials have arrived Cape Town, South Africa venue of the 11th edition of the Africa Scrabble Championship. The event starts from the 25th of October and ends on the 28th of October, 2014. The team led by President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Alh Suleiman Gora is expected to repeat Nigeria's dominance of the game in Africa by retaining the trophy won at the 10th ASC by Rex Ogbakpa the defending champion who is also a member of the current team. Nigeria has won 9 of the previous 10 editions of the championships. Two members of the Nigerian team Jighere Wellington and Ikekeregor Dennis have been crowned Africa Scrabble Champion twice. 62 players representing 6 African countries are participating at this year's championship.
You can follow the 2014 ASC results here.
The 8th edition of the Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics was concluded on Sunday the 28th September 2014. Current Scrabble World Champion Nigel Richards became the second non-Nigerian to win the coveted prize. He carted home the top prize of twenty thousand US dollars $20,000 after 28 games. He won 21 games with a total spread of +1797 points. Former African Champion Jighere Wellington came second with 19 wins and +807 spread while Olatunde Oduwole came third with 19 wins and +739 spread. Full results and game statistics of the Masters can be found here.
In the Intermediate category Ezinore George came first with 20 wins out of 28 games and a +990 spread followed closely by Evruje James 19 wins +1375 and Etua Larry 19 wins +778 spread in second and third place respectively. For full results in this category click here . The Open category was won by John Aiyedun 20/24 +1626 spread. In 2nd and 3rd place respectively were Adekunle Ayo (17/24 +1413 spread) and Ohwonohwo Rutherford (17/24 +1295 ). The Ladies category had 42 ladies in attendance with 24 games played. The first prize went to Ekaba Dorcas who had 19.5/24 +1948, beating Lawrence Adesola (19/24 +557) and Yeribo Zini (16.5/24 +1400) to the second and third position respectively. In the Veteran category Odulele Rotimi came first with 22/28 +1695, with Barr. Aquaisua Edet coming second with 20/28 +1318 while Majemite Prince came third with 19/28 +1067. Full results: Open Ladies Veterans
Messrs Oduwole,Jihere and Richards at the 8th GAISCThe tournament was attended by over 400 players including elementary school children with the NSF Board members and officials presiding. The opening ceremony was attended by the Akwa Ibom state Commissioner of Health who gave a talk on prevention and control of the current Ebola epidermic in W/Africa. The closing ceremony and banquet was presided over by the State Deputy Governor Valerie Ebe who presented the trophy to the Champion Nigel Richards assisted by commissioner for Sports and the representative of the Minister of Sports Mr Bolaji Ojo-Oba along with NSF president Suleiman Gora and other board members.
The WESPA has announced premilinary information regarding the Scrabble Champions Tournament which will now replace the World Scrabble Championships. The article can be read at the WESPA website.
Further information on this will be published later.
Nigeria has won the 2012 edition of the African Scrabble Championship held between the 22nd - 26th of November in Livingstone Zambia. The championship (the 10th edition) was won by Rex Ogbakpa a member of the Nigerian contingent which consisted of 12 players and 4 officials. 4 countries competed at the tournament viz Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and host Zambia with a combined total of 49 players. Rex Ogbakpa runner-up at the 2012 Godswill Akpabio Int. Classics and a member of the Uyo Scrabble Club achieved the feat by winning 21 (+1639 margin) of the 30 games played. He was closely followed by Owolabi Lukeman (20 wins +1171) and Omosefe Prince (who lost to Ogbakpa in the final game) with 19.5points +1369.
Nigeria picked the first 5 spots at the championship in addition to the 8-11th positions. Kenya's Nderitu Gitonga and Mugisha Phillip-Edwin of Uganda were the only non-Nigerians in the top 10 at the end of the championship. All players featured by Nigeria at the event finished within the top half of the field. The only non-Nigerian to have ever won the tournament, South Africa's Trevor Hovelmeier who participated in the event placed a distant 26th. Nigeria also won the Best Team award and the Best Female player award through Mayuku Tuoyo.
RankWon-LostSpreadPlayer
| 1 | 21–9 | +1639 | Ogbakpa, Rex (#2/Nigeria) |
| 2 | 20–10 | +1171 | Owolabi, Lukeman (#5/Nigeria) |
| 3 | 19½–10½ | +1369 | Omosefe, Prince (#3/Nigeria) |
| 4 | 19–11 | +762 | Etim, Nsikan (#4/Nigeria) |
| 5 | 18½–11½ | +862 | Karo, Eta (#1/Nigeria) |
| 6 | 18–12 | +1394 | Nderitu, Gitonga (#14/Kenya) |
| 7 | 18–12 | +672 | Mugisha, Phillip-Edwin (#37/Uganda) |
| 8 | 18–12 | +642 | Mayuku, Tuoyo (#9/Nigeria) |
| 9 | 18–12 | +620 | Kabir, Olaiya (#7/Nigeria) |
| 10 | 18–12 | +109 | Victor, Owokere (#11/Nigeria) |
| 11 | 17½–12½ | +728 | Bright, Idahosa (#10/Nigeria) |
| 12 | 17–13 | +1031 | Oyende, Allan (#19/Kenya) |
| 13 | 17–13 | +555 | Otieno, Manase (#20/Kenya) |
| 14 | 17–13 | +374 | Mbugua, Nicholas (#15/Kenya) |
| 15 | 17–13 | +362 | Hromnik, Tristan (#36/SA) |
| 16 | 17–13 | +83 | Mwangi, Willy (#17/Kenya) |
| 17 | 16½–13½ | −89 | Chavutia, Joseph (#25/Kenya) |
| 18 | 16½–13½ | −198 | Kimani, Macharia (#13/Kenya) |
| 19 | 16–14 | +1099 | Ogbogu, Azu (#6/Nigeria) |
| 20 | 16–14 | +685 | Litunya, Patrick (#18/Kenya) |
| 21 | 16–14 | +349 | Page, Jarrod (#28/SA) |
| 22 | 16–14 | +217 | Sodje, Paul (#8/Nigeria) |
| 23 | 16–14 | −12 | Faruq, Baba-Inna (#12/Nigeria) |
| 24 | 16–14 | −222 | Hossy, Debbe (#29/SA) |
| 25 | 16–14 | −388 | Outi, Tobias (#22/Kenya) |
| 26 | 15½–14½ | +268 | Hovelmeier, Trevor (#27/SA) |
| 27 | 15½–14½ | −284 | Wheelwright, Fern (#32/SA) |
| 28 | 15–15 | +939 | Kangethe, David (#21/Kenya) |
| 29 | 15–15 | +310 | Kariuki, Charles (#26/Kenya) |
| 30 | 15–15 | −117 | Mwape, Isaac (#42/Zambia) |
| 31 | 15–15 | −213 | Munkonge, Mwenya (#40/Zambia) |
| 32 | 15–15 | −214 | Ngosa, Mwila (#44/Zambia) |
| 33 | 15–15 | −281 | Ruto, Cecilia (#23/Kenya) |
| 34 | 15–15 | −720 | Kambikambi, Mubanga (#48/Zambia) |
| 35 | 14½–15½ | −144 | Mutahi, Martins (#24/Kenya) |
| 36 | 14½–15½ | −224 | Ntege, Chris (#38/Uganda) |
| 37 | 14–16 | +160 | Njoroge, Stanley (#16/Kenya) |
| 38 | 14–16 | −203 | Tresha, Dominic (#45/Zambia) |
| 39 | 14–16 | −730 | Milukuti, Sydney (#49/Zambia) |
| 40 | 13½–16½ | −461 | Rayner, Howard (#33/SA) |
| 41 | 13½–16½ | −724 | Davids, Gerald (#31/SA) |
| 42 | 13–17 | +37 | Mpundu, Patrick (#39/Zambia) |
| 43 | 12½–17½ | −674 | Keet, Duncan (#30/SA) |
| 44 | 12–18 | −516 | Koti, Clifford (#41/Zambia) |
| 45 | 11–19 | −1290 | Kalema, Sydney (#47/Zambia) |
| 46 | 10–20 | −241 | Botha, Mary (#34/SA) |
| 47 | 9–21 | −1748 | Chansa, Justin (#51/Zambia) |
| 48 | 9–21 | −1859 | Brey, Zubeida (#35/SA) |
| 49 | 6–24 | −2335 | Moonga, Levy (#52/Zambia) |
EditionHostYearWinner
| 1st | Kenya | 1994 | Ifeanyi Onyeonwu NGR |
| 2nd | Nigeria | 1996 | Femi Awowade NGR |
| 3rd | South Africa | 1998 | Jimoh Saheed NGR |
| 4th | Ghana | 2000 | Moshood Sanni NGR |
| 5th | Kenya | 2002 | Trevor Hovelmeier SA |
| 6th | Tanzania | 2004 | Dennis Ikekeregor NGR |
| 7th | Nigeria | 2006 | Dennis Ikekeregor NGR |
| 8th | Kenya | 2008 | Jighere Wellington NGR |
| 9th | Ghana | 2010 | Jighere Wellington NGR |
| 10th | Zambia | 2012 | Rex Ogbakpa NGR |
The 6th Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics will be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria from the 27th to 30th September 2012. The event is sponsored by the executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Godswill Obot Akpabio and hosted by the good people of Uyo in the serene and hospitable Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria. The last edition of the Classics was won by Mr Sammy Okosagah, a Nigerian International Scrabble Master based in the U.K. He took home the sum of $10,000 (ten thousand US dollars) for his efforts. Scrabble players from all over the world are invited to this prestigious event, the highest paying Scrabble event ( in sum total of prize monies across categories) worldwide. The event is in 4 (four) categories (divisions): Masters, Intermediate, Open and Veterans categories.
No of Games: 28 games across all categories Lexicon: Colins Scrabble Words 2012 (CSW12) Rules: WESPA rules version 2 with a 10pt penalty for moves challenged.
See details of the event by on the Godswill Akpabio Classics event information page.
