Against all odds, Moses Peter of Akwa Ibom State has emerged as the new Nigerian National Scrabble Champion while in the team category, Kano slightly edged Rivers State to win the best state contingent in a very keenly contested event that held everyone in spell bound until the final games were decided.
Team Rivers and Team Kano had 35 points.
They drew as the best state in the tournament.
Rivers was edged to the second because Kano had a higher rated player than Rivers. They got a trophy.
The significance of this is that both Rivers and Kano had the highest quality of teams that had worked hard to deserve the trophy.
Moses Peter won 19 games out of 24 with a whooping margin of 1288.
Coming second was Saheed Tayo who won 17 games with a margin of 467.
Balogun Rasheed came third with 16 wins and a margin of 841 points.
Six persons tagged on 15 wins. They were Mohammed Aminu (998), Ikekeregor Dennis (712), Ogbogu Azu (587), Curtis John (365) and the Rivers State coach, Ikolo Anthony (284). Auwal Ibrahim had the highest game score of 618 in the competition.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the championship, President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Engineer Toke Aka, said: “I am satisfied with the quality of upsets and outcome of this tournament. It was seven years ago we had the last national championship but we have rededicated ourselves to the fact that it will hence become an annual event. Hardwork, believe in self and dedication were values that defined the championship.”
Speaking on the forthcoming national sports festival holding later in the year in Lagos, Aka said: “Players must work hard to be rated. We are using the July 2012 rating for the national sports festival. Those who had played in three sports festivals are welcome as spectators. We are waiting for a harvest of young and good players in the sports festival.”
…Peter dedicates win to Governor Akpabio
*African title is my next target
The new national scrabble champion, Moses Peter, has dedicated his title to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, whose interest, investment and sponsorship has “moved us the extra mile, which I believe is responsible for the victory which I was able to get in Abuja. My eyes are set to deliver to him the African title.”
Speaking to journalists after the final, which he had already won before the last round of games, Peter said: “I was rated an underdog before the start of the championship. No one had eyes on me. I concentrated and worked hard at my game. Luck was on my side. We actually worked very hard during our camping. I had always been in the fringes. Emerging from the shadows to be the new national champion is a prize for hardwork.
“I intend to work harder to consolidate on this victory. It’s the African Scrabble title I want to win and deliver to my governor. I am happy. I wished my Commissioner, Pastor Asuquo, was here to share this moment with us. May his soul rest in peace. I miss him. This victory would have been so complete with his presence. His memory will be kept alive.
“I dedicate this championship title to my governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, for his believe and support for Scrabble in the state which has yielded fruits in making me the national champion.”
Eta Karo, the defending champion, who was dethroned, said: “The fact remains that Scrabble is one game that rests on luck and some level of cerebral dexterity. I worked very hard. I had the jinx of defending champions not winning the title and the fact that there are so many people who are so good and are well prepared. I did my best but as it was, it just was not good enough for me.”
….Analysis of champion Peter from a distance
Ade Adegbesan, London
Moses Peters appears the most comfortable person at that tournament in managing a lead, the moment he was at number one I knew the young man will seal top spot.
I noticed (Eta) Karo was having a tournament to forget and I knew Moses Peters was likely to win it although something inside of me quietly rooted for Sunday Oshodi when I saw him at the top at some point in the event. It changed at the top severally but I knew it had Mr. Peter’s name on it. Oga Aminu (Kano) I see had a fantastic tournament, to play BEDRITE shows to me he is still studying, it’s great to see veterans study, they seem to be gaining even much bigger appetite for scrabble these days considering SK Fash’s resurgence as well.
Jerry Igwe will come through when he has had more of this, anybody could have missed anything giving the pressure, it’s easier for us to spot on the sidelines because we are not under any pressure as he was.
Great tournament, could have gone up to 40 games if NSF toyed with the idea of a Monday finish but 24 is enough to decide our National Champion.
Everything seemed to roll well, it was put together nicely. The reportage was excellent with so many on ground giving us email and facebook updates. The mass media was also for once very fantastic.
Moses Peters has proved again that he is a name to reckon with and I am excited he is from Akwa Ibom state, the governor has been fantastic, we now need to prove to the world by winning one major scrabble event soon.