Kayode Fashola
This year’s National Scrabble Championship will kick off on Friday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The prelude was played a couple of weeks ago and different qualifiers emerged while some heavyweights slid out at the qualifiers.
As of Thursday morning, 14 states, including the FCT, the host, have sent the list of their qualifiers, amongst which highly rated players are conspicuously missing.
Amongst qualified players from the South West who may not participate due to logistic reasons are Ogun’s Rotimi Odulele, Bukunmi Afolayan.
The list parades also Oyo’s Odun Titunyemi, Adeola Woody, Kazeem Raji. From Osun are the two brothers, Dokun and Niyi Esan, while Ondo’s Ibukun Faloye makes up the list.
Most of these players could not come due to political bottleneck and bureaucratic hurdles occasioned by the insensitivity of the various state sports councils.
However, where possible, other equally able players have been mandated to put on their defensive toga in readiness to fly the flags of their different states.
This year’s championship will involve playing 24 games, six of which will be King of the Hill format over three days duration, starting from Friday morning.
The current national champion is Eta Karo, who recently carted home a mouth watering prize money of N500,000 having emerged victorious in this year’s edition of Kwete Scrabble Championship in Numan Kingdom, Adamawa State.
The first ever Scrabble Champion is the man code named The Champ, Femi Awowade, the London-based international scrabble expert.
This year’s winner will cart away a prize money of N150,000, a giant Gold trophy and a national emblem-quilted Green Jacket.
Scrabble gladiators’ point of convergence for the nation’s most prized tourney is The Milleniium Hotel, Abuja where the championship will hold.
On ground already are the President of National Scrabble Federation, Engineer Toke Aka, his deputy, Alhaji Gora, the General Secretary, James Eakns and his secretariat staffers ensuring the smooth running of the logistics.
Players to watch:
Dennis Ikekeregor: The Iron monkey is back, strong and may be challenging strongly for the title. He was an African king of the game.
Eta Karo: This is the man to beat. He is the defending champion. He had signified his intention to retain his title with the winning last week of the Kwete championship in Numan.
Kabiru Olaiya: Young, aggressive, a giant killer but dangerous. He is a potential that can upturn the table against the highly rated players in the championship.
Segun Durojaiye: They call him the Jay-Jay Okocha of Scrabble. He is an old horse with plenty of experience behind him. He is a master of the words, a wordsmith. He is one who can pick the crown on a blue day.
Alhaji Aminu Kano: This is the man who shares name with the legendary Kano king of talakawa politics. A veteran with intimidating arsenal of words. He is not likely to be an outsider to the crown.
Elder Bob Okoridem: Watch out for another veteran who can beat the best from anywhere in the Scrabble world. Undermine him at your own peril and he will slip like the eel home.
Moses Peter: A very cool but highly technical player. He can be considered as an outsider to the throne but he has a right to the throne.
Engineer Dipo Akanbi: He is a word processor per excellence. He can engineer his way to the podium if all other forces remain equal.
Tokunbo Olowu: An old warhorse from the days of yore. Call him an ‘old school’ you may be correct but he can modernise you with ease to win the title. He is an outsider but can just surprise anyone.
Frank Ishiekwene: A highly deceptive and cunning old player. He is as clement but effective to the throne like the Boa anaconda.
Timi Olaitan: A trojan aficianado of the game. He is a serving commissioner in Lagos state. He shocked everyone to come second in the Lagos qualifiers. He has the same surprise instincts planted on him here too. Watch him carefully.
Andrew Umogbai: The aviation Industry guru of the game always putting on the deceptive toga of nonchallance but as deadly as a black widow.
Rasheed Balogun: ‘Rashkid’ as he is popularly called is known world over and can spring last minute surprises; He is a master strategist.
Seun Oyeleke: The whizkid computer guru is definitely the heir apparent to the throne of the nation’s Scrabble! He may not be too ripe now but I am not ruling out a surprise about to unfold.
Venayori Kingah: Uhm! I need this exclamation! This headmaster’s unassuming posture can lure the unwary into cataleptic coma, just from suspension! He carted away N200,000 untaxed winning from Adamawa’s classic, the Kwete, this year.
Saheed Tayo: If you call him the “Evil Genius” you cannot suffer any penalty. He is no doubt in one of his deadliest elements right now and he promised it is going to be a fight to the finish! Trust him ‘fight’ is not figurative!
Class of integrity: Mpaka Jack, Oshikena Ojior, Sunday Oshodi are all gladiators from oil rich River State! To them the money is not the issue. INTEGRITY is the name of this war of grammar.
War veterans: One other group to beware like the ides of March (now that we are in April) are all our scrabble-war-front banned aficianados.
Who does the crown fit best. I shall be here on Monday to give the readers the incisive reports of what would have happened on Sunday. Keep a date with us.
Fashola, better known as The Nemesis of all Scrabble Greats, did this special report for our readers.