70 players from 17 States of the Federation have confirmed their participation in the scrabble event at the ongoing 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, the Delta State capital, South South, Nigeria.
The players will be competing for honours in six categories. Boys and girls doubles, mixed doubles, boys and girls singles and the team event for boys and girls.
A look at the numbers of players in Asaba, Nigeria’s Sporting capital shows that 37 of the scrabble contingent are boys and 33 are girls and all the Sporting Zones of the country are represented.
South South Zone is heavily represented by Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers while Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau are holding it down for North Central Zone and it’s Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo are from the West.
Anambra and Imo are the touch bearers from the South East, Kebbi are the only State from North West and Adamawa are North East sole team for the scrabble event of the 7th National Youth Games.
A good number of players who shone brilliantly at the maiden edition of the African Youth Scrabble Championship in Lagos State last month are in attendance in Asaba.
That exclusive list is headed by Clinton Imode, Abdul Qudus Aliuo, Saviour Onazi, Pereowei Edide, Philip Akhabue, John Daniel, Peace Adegunte as well as Demilade Lawrence.
All eyes will be on Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Lagos, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo and Rivers for a good showing at the Games.
The new Multi Purpose Hall of Stephen Keshi Stadium that played host to the scrabble event at the 21st National Sports Festival last year is the same venue for the Youth Scrabble competition.
The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka says the young wordsmith in Asaba for the National Youth Games (NYG) are the future of the game of words not only in Nigeria but the world.
“The NSF will continue to open up the space for the game of scrabble to blossom, by reaching out to schools where we can catch them young.” Toke Aka said.
The NSF President stated that at the last African Youth Scrabble Championship in Lekki-Lagos, Team Nigeria took all the honours at stake and so the battle of Asaba will be hard, challenging, tough and equally exciting.
“We know most of the youngsters in attendance, we also what they can bring to the board, however there will be lots of upsets as new faces are ready to show their word power, tactical play, board management, mental strength and as well as their dexterity on the board.” Engineer Toke Aka added.
At the last National Sports Festival 14 out of the 27 States that competed had at a medal to show for participating in the scrabble event.
Fact file:
Number of States 17
Number of Players 70
Number of female 33
Number of male 37
Regional spread:
South South 5 States
South West 4 States
South East 2 States
North Central 4 States
North West 1 State
North East 1 State
ENTRIES BY STATES:
1. ADAMAWA
1. Francis Isaac – Male
2. Simthe Jimjel – Male
3. Noel Leonard – Male
2. AKWA IBOM
1. Umorok Justice – Male
2. Moses Joshua – Male
3. Moses Emmanuel – Male
4. Bassey Beulah – Female
5. Frank Goodnews – Female
3. ANAMBRA
1. Jude Chidera – Male
2. Daniel Chima – Male
3. Ubanmmayie Michael – Male
4. Chukwuemeka Victoria – Female
5. Michael Cynthia – Female
6. Ubanmmayie Catherine – Female
4. BAYELSA
1. Pereowei Edide – Male
2. August Shannon – Male
3. Kemewariofa Josephine – Female
4. Igbe Elliana – Female
5. DELTA
1. Imode Clinton – Male
2. Avworo Joseph – Male
3. Ikekeregor Elohor – Female
4. Ohwevwo Alexandra – Female
5. Ohwevwo Ivy – Female
6. EDO
1. Ejenakevbe Ese – Male
2. Omoregie Miracle – Male
3. Ejenakevbe Gold – Male
4. Nwabuzor Joy – Female
5. Eghe Gifted – Female
7. EKITI
1. Adegunte Peace – Male
2. Oke Opeyemi – Male
3. Dada Oluwaferanmi – Female
4. Omoleye Purpose – Female
5. Adegunte Nora – Female
8. IMO
1. Dike Blessing – Male
2. Benson Marvellous – Male
3. Ajibola David – Male
4. Duruaku Blossom – Female
5. Onyekwere Michelle – Female
6. Duruaku Chikaima – Female
9. KEBBI
1. Ibrahim Abubakar – Male
10. KWARA
1. Aliu AbdulQudus – Male
2. Sufyan Boluwatife – Male
3. Khalid Olosun – Male
4. Balqees Ajao – Female
5. Sakariyau Haleema – Female
6. Olojoku Hadiyah – Female
11. LAGOS
1. Akhabue Philip – Male
2. John Daniel – Male
3. Ekeruche Sophia – Female
4. Agbabiaje Oluwanifemi – Female
12. NASARAWA
1. Umar Musa – Male
2. Mairiga Zainab – Female
3. Musa Aisha – Female
13. NIGER
1. Onazi Saviour – Male
2. Bello Khalifa – Male
14. OGUN
1. Demilade Lawrence – Male
2. Mohammed Gbadebo – Male
3. Nifemi Ogundele – Male
4. Sanusi Aishat – Female
5. Osoba Anjola – Female
6. Fafiolu Eriol
15. OYO
1. Raji Uthman – Male
2. Lawal-Ibrahim Ahmid – Male
3. Lawal-Ibrahim Ahmidah – Female
16. PLATEAU
1. Abdullahi Junior – Male
2. Abdullahi Hauwa – Female
3. Monday Happiness – Female
4. Monday Precious – Female
17. RIVERS
1. Jumbo-Egwurugwu Peculiar – Male
2. Richard Treasure – Female
BOYS SINGLES PAIRINGS FOR ROUND 1:
1 Abdullahi Junior table 1 * Omoregie Miracle
2 * Adegunte Peace table 2 Bello Khalifa
3 * Ajibola David table 3 Pereowei Edide
4 * Akhabue Philip table 4 Francis Isaac
5 Aliu Abdulqudus table 5 * Ubanmmayie Michael
6 * August Shannon table 6 Onazi Saviour
7 Avworo Joseph table 7 * Egwurugwu Peculiar
8 Bello Khalifa table 2 * Adegunte Peace
9 Benson Marvellous table 8 * Daniel Chima
10 * Daniel Chima table 8 Benson Marvellous
11 Demilade Lawrence table 9 * Ejenakevbe Gold
12 * Dike Blessing table 10 Moses Emmanuel
13 * Egwurugwu Peculiar table 7 Avworo Joseph
14 * Ejenakevbe Ese table 11 Nifemi Ogundele
15 * Ejenakevbe Gold table 9 Demilade Lawrence
16 Francis Isaac table 4 * Akhabue Philip
17 * Ibrahim Abubakar table 12 Simthe Jimjel
18 * Imode Clinton table 13 Mohammed Gbadebo
19 John Daniel table 14 * Noel Leonard
20 Jude Chidera table 15 * Khalid Olosun
21 * Khalid Olosun table 15 Jude Chidera
22 Mohammed Gbadebo table 13 * Imode Clinton
23 Moses Emmanuel table 10 * Dike Blessing
24 Nifemi Ogundele table 11 * Ejenakevbe Ese
25 * Noel Leonard table 14 John Daniel
26 Oke Opeyemi table 16 * Umar Musa
27 * Omoregie Miracle table 1 Abdullahi Junior
28 Onazi Saviour table 6 * August Shannon
29 Pereowei Edide table 3 * Ajibola David
30 Simthe Jimjel table 12 * Ibrahim Abubakar
31 Sufyan Boluwatife table 17 * Umorok Justice
32 * Ubanmmayie Michael table 5 Aliu Abdulqudus
33 * Umar Musa table 16 Oke Opeyemi
34 * Umorok Justice table 17 Sufyan Boluwatife
The player with asterisk starts the game.
Leave a Reply