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Kwara and Edo have won the singles category of the scrabble event of the ongoing 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State, South South, Nigeria.
Kwara took the gold medal through Abdulqudus Aliu with 9 wins and a cumulative points of plus 1037 points ahead of another Kwaran Boluwatife Sufyan who recorded 8 wins and plus 943 cumulative points.
Home boy, Clinton Imode, came third as a result of a lower cumulative points of plus 878. He had 8 wins just like Sufyan. Edide Pereowei, of Bayelsa State who oscillating and inter change the first and second spot on the log with Abdulqudus Aliu eventually fourth as he could only take one game in the King of the Hall on Match Day 2 of the scrabble event at the Games.
Eight year old scrabble wiz kid Saviour Onazi who was within touch distance of a podium finish lost his last game in the singles event at Kwara’s Boluwatife Sufyan to end at the fifth spot overall.
After the grueling competition, Abdulqudus Aliu has this to say. “I feel elated, and I know my coach will be proud of me. It is a great success that I have always wanted. People have wished me gold, and I believe gold is what I coming for, and I thank God I made it.”
The girls singles title went to Edo State Joy Nwabuzor. Nwabuzor did a ten over ten as she did not drop a game and she had a cumulative of 1578 points. Sophia Ekeruche of Lagos State with 8 and 1175 cumulative points pushed the front runner on Day 1, Victoria Chukwuemeka with 8 wins also and 826 points to the third place.
A very elated Joy Nwabuzor, said. “The whole thing was overwhelming. Winning this gold medal means a lot to me because this is my last outing in the National Youth Games. I am so happy I won this game.”
She attributed her success story to the cloud of positive people around her. “People around me, they helped me a lot and I did some personal work on myself. At my first game in Ilorin in 2019, I came out in the fourth position, while in 2021, I finished third.” she said.
The father of Saviour Onazi who came fifth in the boys singles category is pleased with his performance at the Games, Mr. Patrick Onazi explained that his eight year old son is ticking the right boxes as he continues to flourish in the game of words.
Shortly after the singles category was concluded, the President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) Engineer Toke Aka told your authoritative Scrabble News Channel that the medal spread is a clear testimony that the game of words is growing nationwide.
“Just like the National Sports Festival, the National Youth Games is telling a very positive story that scrabble has national spread and appeal and I want to tell other coaches and administrators in the word game family to go and learn from Kwara, Edo Delta Anambra and Lagos how to catch them young and turn tiles to gold, silver and bronze medals. Toke Aka said.
The double category in scrabble at the 7th National Youth Games started shortly after the conclusion of the singles event and will come to a close on Wednesday while the team event will follow.
70 players from 17 States representing all the 6 Sporting Zones of the country are participating in the scrabble event at the Games.
This is the scrabble medal table at the 7th National Youth Games:
Kwara 1 gold 1 silver
Edo 1 gold
Lagos 1 silver
Anambra 1 bronze
Delta 1 bronze