The first edition of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Festival begins today Monday the 20th of March, in Abuja with the Asaph Zadok National Championship which is the first of four events in the Festival week.
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The former Minister of Niger Delta Ministry and Senator-elect, Godswll Akpabio is heading a super heavyweight A list dignitaries that will grace the Nigeria Scrabble Festival.
The honourable Minister of Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), engineer Habu Gumel and a number of Presidents and Chairmen of some sporting Federations will also be part of the first of its kind Festival in the history of Scrabble in Nigeria.
Top scrabble players drawn from the 36 States and the FCT are expected to compete for honours in the Asaph Zadok National Championship which ends on Wednesday.
The four-in-one event are:
✓ A National Scrabble Championship open to all players from the 36 States and FCT
✓ The NSF Annual General Meeting
✓ The Inter Club Championship grand finale
✓ Awards and Gala Night
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All these events will take place at the classy and prestigious, Hotel de Bentley located at the famous Okonjo Iweala street in Utako-district, Abuja from today, 20th to the 26th of March.
The Asaph Zadok National Championship is a 28 games competition, 10 rounds of games on Monday and Tuesday each while 8 games will be played on Wednesday.
1 random, 22 lagged and 5 king of the hill pairings. Each player has 25 minutes per game while 2021 Collins Scrabble Words dictionary is the reference for the event.
Eta Paul Oghenekaro affectionately called the Malaysian Prince by the Scrabble family as well as his buddies was the first player to wear the NSF National Championship Green Jacket in 2005.
Former World Champion,two time African Champion, King of the jungle, multiple National Sports Festival gold medalist and current National number two player, Wellington Jighere is the defending Champion
FC Couture has designed and produced the Green Jacket for the winner of the Asaph Zadok National Championship.
The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka, says the 2023 Scrabble Festival will certainly add colour, panache and glamour to the game of words and mind in Nigeria.
“We choose the colour green, for the champions jacket because of its significance to the nation as it symbolizes fruitfulness and productivity.” Aka who is also the Managing Director of kadegg Nigeria Ltd, stated.
After the Asaph Zadok National Championship, the banquet hall of Hotel de Bentley will play host to the much anticipated Annual General Meeting of NSF on Thursday March 23rd.
After the AGM, the NSF Inter Club Championship that went into coma after the 2014 edition which was revived last year will take the centre stage with the grand finale. The grand finale of the NSF Inter Club Championship begins on Thursday the 24th and ends on Sunday the 26th.
This is the zonal representations of the 12 Clubs jamming for the over one million naira prize money on offer.
North East – 1
North West – 1
North Central – 2
South East – 2
South West – 3
South South – 3
Yola Scrabble Club of Adamawa, South Side Scrabble Club of Kaduna, Apex A Scrabble Club and Central Scrabble Club of from Abuja, Enugu Scrabble Club, Safari Scrabble Club of Owerri and Warri SC are the teams competing in the Inter Club grand finale.
Others are Yenagua Scrabble Club, Benin City Scrabble Club, Ikorodu SC, Lagos Pyramid A Scrabble Club and Ibadan SC.
Lagos Pyramid Scrabble Club are the Defending Champions of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Inter Club Championship.
As for the Inter Club Scrabble Championship, it’s 20 minutes per game for each player, 15 games in the round robin stage, 5 in the quarter and semi finals each and 5 in the third placed and final each.
The draw for the grand finale of the Inter Club Championship was made last month. The 12 teams have been divided into three groups of four teams each.
The top two teams in each of the group zoom into the quarter finals while the two best third placed teams from any of the three groups also advance to the last eight.
Yola Scrabble Adamawa, Yenagua Scrabble Club, Warri SC and Benin Scrabble Club are in group 1, Enugu Scrabble Club, Apex SC of Abuja, Central Scrabble Club Abuja and Safari Scrabble Club of Owerri are in group 2.
Group 3 comprises of South Side Scrabble Club of Kaduna, Ikorodu SC, Pyramid A Scrabble Club and Ibadan SC.
On Sunday night, the week long Scrabble Festival will come to a befitting and electrifying finish with the Awards and Gala Night at the same venue.
The Awards and Gala Night which is the icing on the cake, will be used by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), to reward and recognize players, coaches, administrators and sponsors who have distinguished themselves since the current board under the stewardship of Engineer Toke Aka, was elected and inaugurated in 2021.
Engineer Toke Aka who is also a Kogi High Chief further stated that the Festival will be an annual event to close the Scrabble season going forward and the host city will be rotated among the six geo-sporting zones of the country as the NSF dim fit.
The Ahmadu Bello University graduate, explained that this definitely shall be the new normal for scrabble activity in Nigeria. From grassroots to the centre. It is now time to end last year’s league, and this will be done in grand style.”
A multiple award winning top sports broadcaster, Oluwatoyin Ibitoye, has been selected by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), to host it’s Awards and Gala Night.
The recognitions by the NSF which will be an annual event will also be used to appreciate the hard work and support giving to the game of words by key stakeholders over the years.
ASAPH ZADOK NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP ROLL CALL OF PLAYERS ALREADY IN ABUJA:
BAYELSA STATE
★ Ben Quickpen
DELTA STATE
★ Dennis Ikekeregor
★ Emmanuel Umujose
★ Oshevire Avwenagha
★ Emmanuel Ofidi
EDO STATE
★ Bright Idahosa
★ Prince Omosefe
★ Ezinore George
★ Cyril Umebiye
★ Okiemute Tega
★ Umukoro Oghomaria
FCT
★ Curtis John
★ Ekwenugo Emeka
★ Jimoh Abdulmumin
★ Ebomah Peter
★ Okim Eugene
★ Nnamani Christopher
KEBBI STATE
★ Chinonyerem Onyema
★ Friday Ogbonyomi
★ Chukwukelu Peter
★ Thorpe Chinedu
LAGOS STATE
★ Enoch Nwali
★ Okere Joseph
★ Olatunde Adigun
★ John Aiyedun
★ Olaitan Timi
★ Victor Ewarah
NIGER STATE
★ Simeon Oyadoran
★ Aladenika Richard
★ Ogaba Patrick
OGUN STATE
★ Adedeji Khaleel
★ Sanya Adebola
★ Adebola Samuel
★ Oyebola Alli
OYO STATE
★ Salau Samson
★ Segun Duronaye
★ Raji Kazeem
★ Adegbola Abiola
★ Adebowale Qamar
★ Clarkson Ismail
PLATEAU STATE
★ Negro Igbinadolor
★ Henry Nwosu
★ Benjamin Isa
★ Tunji Ayeni
★ Joy Ola
★ Victor Lokoja
RIVERS STATE
★ Fubara Tamunosiki
★ Olu Chinedu
★ Jack Mpakaboari
NSF WILDCARDS
★ Eta Karo
★ Wellington Jighere
★ Dipo Akanbi
★ Olatunde Oduwole
NAVY TEAM
★ Festus Onewokae
★ Olusesan Adeleye
★ Paul Odiaka
★ Oluwatosin Banjo
