Ace scrabbler, Nwali, wins Gov Diri National Scrabble championship for second time

Posted : 26 August 2024

Enoch Nwali of Ebonyi State has retained his crown in the Masters category in the 4th edition of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Nwali recorded 13 wins at the Chief Harold Dappa Biriye Conference Hall, with a cumulative spread of +1229, to win the trophy and the ₦750,000 star prize along with the winner's trophy.

Enoch Nwali became the first player to successfully defend the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship, with previous editions won by Oshevire Avwenagha of Delta State and Nsikak Etim of Akwa Ibom State.

Igali Precious of Bayelsa finished second with 12 wins and a cumulative spread of +140, earning a sum of ₦450,000. Delta State's Okiemute Tega came in third with the same number of wins and a cumulative spread of +139, receiving ₦330,000.

Esan Dokun of Kogi State dethroned Ojior Osikhena of Edo in the veteran category with a cumulative spread of +1465 after 13 wins, while Ojior Osikhena came second with 13 wins and a cumulative spread of +585.

Bayelsa State dominated the Opens category with Nimibo Theophilus emerging as champion with 13 wins and a cumulative spread of +893. Bright Uzu of Rivers finished second with a cumulative spread of +788, while Ene Ketebu took third place.

Enai Doubara of Bayelsa triumphed in the Intermediate category with 13 wins and a cumulative spread of +894. Kareem Jamiu of Oyo State finished second with a cumulative spread of +1090.

Eddie Pereowei of the Federal Government College, Odi, emerged as the new champion in the Secondary School category, taking the place of Adeleke John, who won the previous edition.

Akpos Malafakumo was crowned champion in the Female category.

Declaring the championship closed, Governor Douye Diri reiterated his administration's commitment to using sports as a vehicle to combat crime and other social vices.

The Governor, who was represented by the Director of Sports, Braveman Wodi, remarked that his administration is making a deliberate effort to establish Bayelsa as the hub of sports in the nation and is open to hosting more national competitions.

According to him, one of the focal areas of his administration is youth engagement, and investing in sports development is the best way to positively engage the youth.

He assured participants of a more remarkable championship in the next edition, noting that the competition would continue to witness significant improvements.

The President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Chief Olubanke Aka, called for scrabble to be included in the curriculum of various schools in the state, describing Bayelsa as a prominent Scrabble state in the nation.

He congratulated the Governor on his triumph at the Supreme Court, emphasizing that the Federation was pleased to receive the news.

Aka announced that the nation’s scrabble players would be representing Nigeria in Kigali, Rwanda, at the Africa Scrabble Championship in October this year.

Earlier, in a welcome address, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association, Daniel Alabrah, stated that over 250 participants registered for this year’s edition across all categories.

He noted that a special feature of this year’s competition was the increased prize money from ₦500,000 to ₦750,000 for the Masters category and other categories. He also expressed satisfaction with the selection of Eddie Pereowei and August Benharry for the national team.

The Scrabble boss called for the inclusion of Scrabble in the Olympics, stating that it is the surest way for Nigeria to secure a gold medal at the Games.

The winner of the Masters category, Enoch Nwali, in an interview, thanked Almighty God for his victory, attributing his success to consistency.

The University of Lagos graduate explained that he secured the championship with the word “hayride,” which he found in the Scrabble dictionary.

Ace scrabbler, Nwali, wins Gov Diri National Scrabble championship for second time

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