UNILAG export Enock Nwali wins Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship in style for Lagos

Posted : 19 April 2024

The University of Lagos health education student and current African Scrabble Champion, Enock Nwali, has won the three-day Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) National Scrabble Festival, named Gateway 2024, sponsored and hosted by the Ogun State Government. Nwali emerged victorious in the keenly contested finals, securing 20 wins, a draw, and a cumulative score of plus 1220 points from 28 rounds of games, while his teammate, John Aiyedun, claimed the second spot with 19 victories, 9 losses, and a cumulative score of +701 points.

The first of four events at the Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship lived up to expectations on the final day, Wednesday, at the Adebowale Banquet Hall, in the serene and cozy Rolak Hotel and Suites, located in the ancient and historical city of Ijebu-Ode, in the South-West of Nigeria. Host Ogun State was rewarded for its immeasurable support for the National Scrabble Festival, named Gateway 2024, as University of Lagos (UNILAG) final-year Pharmacy student and current West Africa Scrabble Champion, Doko Oluwatimilehin, secured the third position.

Doko secured the final podium spot with 18 wins, 10 defeats, and a cumulative score of +1057 points. Enock Nwali will be decorated with the prestigious NSF National Green Jacket on Sunday during the Awards and Gala Night for winning the Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship. Defending champions Delta State, who performed poorly in both the team and individual events, settled for the fourth and fifth spots as Doko Oluwatimilehin and company left no room for errors.

PANASA President Cup winner and fourth seed Godwin Victor took the fourth place with 18 wins and a +779 cumulative spread, while former World Champion and two-time African Scrabble Champion, Wellington Jighere, completed the top five with a cumulative spread of plus 720 points from 18 wins. Cross Rivers' Victor Ewarah finished the annual championship in the sixth place, losing 11 and winning 17 matches with a positive cumulative spread of +660 points, while Delta State's Emmanuel Umujose was seventh with the same number of wins, but a cumulative spread of +657 points, which was disappointing as he missed the eighth position by just 3 points below Victor. National Sports Festival gold medalist, Jimoh Abdulmumini, added to the hosts' celebrations by finishing eighth, becoming Ogun State's second ambassador in the top 10.

Bayelsa State's Ben Quickpen and Rivers State's Sunday Oshodi were the last two with 17 wins. Oshodi recorded +164 points, and Quickpen finished above him with a better spread of +456 points. Ryan Jacob representing Akwa Ibom secured the 11th spot with 16 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw, and +327 points. Lagos' Joseph Okere, Cross Rivers' Anthony Odok, Oyo's Dokun Esan, and Team Delta captain and coach, two-time African Scrabble Champion Dennis Ikekeregor, all won 16 of their 28 games.

Joseph Okere had a spread of +660 points, Anthony Odok's plus 284 placed him 13th on the chart, while Dokun Esan and Dennis Ikekeregor, in the 14th and 15th spots respectively, had cumulative spreads of minus 64 and 85. Ogun State had four of their executives in the top 20, with Cyril Umebiye being the third in that board at the 16th spot, winning 15 games and losing no more than 13, which helped him add glitter to the tournament hosts' coats and wigs. The fourth son of the soil in the top 20 was Samuel Adebola, with an equal number of games as Cyril and a +374 cumulative spread that earned him the 18th position. Lagos' Adeyemi Adeosun trailed Samuel with +297 cumulative and the same win-lose ratio.

Ezinore George of Edo State ensured that nine states found their names in the top 20, with 15 wins and a plus 220 cumulative spread being the final arbiter of his noble endeavors. Gbadebo Olufemi and Khaleel Adedeji made it six in the top 30, with Gbadebo in the 26th place after squaring half of his games, adding a plus 403 spread to his 'Man Covered with Grace' title. Khaleel Adedeji finished the thrilling and eventful championship as the 30th contender, capping a commendable showing by the Gateway Team.

The Chairman of Ogun State Scrabble Association, who also doubles as the President of the Continental Governing Body of Scrabble, the Pan Africa Scrabble Association (PANASA), Adekoyejo Adegbesan, was on hand to congratulate the winners. He also thanked them for bringing their best to the Gateway State, the title sponsors of the event.

UNILAG export Enock Nwali wins Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship in style for Lagos

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