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Delta State Scrabble Association (DSSA), has named a strong six man squad for the forthcoming end of season Asaph Zadok National Championship scheduled to hold in Abuja from the 20th to 22nd of this month.
The Delta State team heading to the nation’s capital was made public on Saturday by the Head coach of DSSA, Dennis Ikekeregor.
Ikekeregor said, Team Delta was carefully selected based on the current NSF rating, each player’s tournament input, experience, word power, game plan coupled with their ability to manage big games under difficult and challenging conditions.
Four members of the team are currently in the top 15 bracket in the latest NSF automated ranking system and Africa’s finest female player also made the team.
Wellington Jighere, Dennis Ikekeregor, Eta Paul Oghenekaro, Emmanuel Umujose, Oshevire Avwenagha and Tuoyo Mayuku are the members of Team Delta to the Asaph Zadok National Championship.
Former World Champion and two time African Champion, Wellington Jighere is expected to lead the team’s battle for the much sort after NSF National Championship Green Jacket.
Jighere will be heading to a familiar territory, were he won the Abuja National Open last year, he also took the Kano National Open Championship. Jighere did not stop there last season, he won the first edition of the Scrabble in the Jungle Challenge put together by Scrabble Las Vegas.
2022 season was really a sweet one for the forty year old wordsmith, who captured the most converted Best Board title at the 21st National Sport Festival as well as MGI League singles crown in Lagos.
Wellington Jighere’s rich collections of honours last year include two podium finish in Accra, Ghana and Lusaka, Zambia. On both occasions, the 2015 World Champion finished behind current African King, Enoch Nwali who is leading Team Lagos to Abuja.
Without a doubt, Jighere is one of the favourites for the prestigious NSF Green Jacket of the Championship first worn by Eta Paul Oghenekaro in 2005 in Lagos.
Widely traveled and experience player and coach, Dennis Ikekeregor is another big gun in Team Delta going to Abuja for the Asaph Zadok National Championship and the NSF Inter Club Championship grand finale.
Ikekeregor a two time African Scrabble Championship winner has a very impressive feats on the domestic and international scene.
He guided Delta to top the Scrabble event at the 21st National Sports Festival on home front last year and a year before in Benin City.
As the captain of Bulldozer in the elite division of the MGI, Ikekeregor was just too hot too handle in Abuja on Match Day 1 and 2.
He will be using the Asaph Zadok Championship as part of his preparation for the World Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA in july. He picked one of Team Nigeria tickets to the World Championship in style in Sapele during the Qualifiers in January.
The current West African Champion, Eta Paul Oghenekaro is another household name in the Scrabble circuit in the country that was named in the team.
Oghenekaro, who has so many first in his illustrious semi professional Scrabble career will be seeking to write his name in gold in Abuja with Team Delta and Warri Scrabble Club in the Inter Club grand finale.
Oshivere Avwenegha, captain of Team Nigeria to the West African Scrabble Championship in Accra, Ghana and the African Scrabble Championship in Lusaka the Zambian capital also made the cut.
Winner of the maiden edition of the Bayelsa National Championship in 2021, Avwenegha is a tough opponent to deal with on the board and his last outing in Warri at the Lati B Bash Retreat is an eye opener that he is still on top of his game.
Banga na Banga man ranked 25th in the country is well armed and he is ready to explode in Abuja.
Emmanuel Umujose, this is another winner any day, he came 10th in a very competitive and formidable field at the African Championship in Zambia. He is ranked 12th by NSF.
Team Delta, is gender friendly as the most decorated female player in the history of scrabble in Nigeria and the continent of Africa, Tuoyo Mayuku, has a place in the “Killer” squad going to Abuja.
Although she is the lowest ranked player in the team, if any player under rates the Africa Queen in Abuja, that player will surely blame his or her self at the end of the day.
Mayuku who is rated 137 with 1340 points has the ability and capacity to throw any player in to the ditch. Her present position on the NSF ranking is caused by her circular job as the Secretary of Delta State Para-Table Tennis Association. She in not attending enough of NSF rated events.
Dennis Ikekeregor says, “Team Delta is the team to beat and they are aware and are ready for the big huge task before.”
“We know how to handle big games and big Championship, the team has what it take to return to Asaba with the treasured NSF National Championship Green Jacket.” Vastly experienced coach stated.
Team Delta is loaded to the hilt with talented, tested, trusted, tantalizing and equally gifted players with lots experience and a bag full of game and match winning tricks and tactics.
The team will have an open camping program from next week to perfect their game plan.
Ikekeregor who a vast number of national championship titles to his name, is very confident that they will not return to Asaba from Abuja empty handed.
Team Delta at a glance on NSF current rating.
2. Wellington Jighere – 1776 pts
3. Dennis Ikekeregor – 1749 pts
7. Eta Paul Oghenekaro – 1657 pts
12. Emmanuel Umujose – 1618 pts
25. Oshivere Avwenegha – 1555 pts
137. Tuoyo Mayuku – 1340 pt
Team average rating points…1615
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