A 500-level undergraduate of the University of Lagos, UNILAG Doko Oluwatimileyin on Saturday emerged as the winner of the second edition of the West African Scrabble Championship, WASC held in Lagos.
Doko, who was denied a visa to represent Team Nigeria at the last World Scrabble Championship held in May, 2023, won 19 and lost nine rounds to garnered a cumulative spread of +1163 points to receive a $2000 cash prize.
Next to Doko was Peter Moses, who won 18 and lost ten rounds with a cumulative spread +1351 points to emerge as first runner-up to smile home with $1000 cash prize.
Team Nigeria, at the end of the championship asserted its dominance as the powerhouse of Scrabble game in Africa as its players occupied the first to the ninth positions.
The players include Okiemute Tega, Karo Eta, Nwali Enoch, Ezinnore George, Odoh Anthony, Etim Nsitak and Victor Godwin, occupying the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh positions respectively.
The Gambia’s Richard Sock finished in the tenth position to receive a $100 cash prize earmarked for the top ten.
Aiyedun John occupied the eleventh position while Ghana’s Tachie Charles ended on the twelfth position.
Nigeria’s Adeosun Adeyemi, Jimoh Abdulmumin, Idahosa Bright and Wellington Jighere settled for thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth positions respectively.
Jabang Salifu of The Gambia finished in the seventeenth position while Nigeria’s Igbinador Ngero, Ben Quickpen, John Curtis, Umujose Emmanuel and Adebola Samuel ended on the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, 21st and 22nd positions respectively.
Ghana’s Ubiedi Stanley, Addo George and The Gambia settled for the 23rd, 24th and 25th positions respectively while Nigeria’s Oshodi Sunday finished 26th position.
Susso Kebba of The Gambia, Ghana’s Amartey Victor occupied the 27th and 28th positions respectively while Omar Malleh of The Gambia and Ghana’s Abdulai Mohammed finished on the 29th and 30th positions.
For the countries award presentation, Team Nigeria emerged as the winner, claiming $3000 cash prize while The Gambia finished as the second position.
Ghana who were second at the maiden edition settled for third at this just concluded edition in Lagos.
Elated by his feat, Doko admitted that his victory was not a stroll in the pack, saying that it has been a herculean task to combine academics and sports together.
“It is very thrilling to win this tournament. I feel elated really, it is a dream come true. I just want to keep improving my game.
“Schooling and playing Scrabble have been tough. I have missed out on many tournaments I could have loved to play because of school but I think it is possible to balance both if one has good time management,” he said.
The Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF Toke Aka attributed the emergence of young ones like African Scrabble Champion; Enoch Nwali and Doko Oluwatimilehin entrenching their names as rising stars in the continent to developmental plans of the federation.
“Then they used to have a scrabble game where secondary schools meet and winners emerge. Nwali Enoch and Doko Oluwatimilehin are a product of that tournament.
“They went through all of that, that was like 10 years ago when they started, today they are winning, it is not because they started today. They started a long time ago and we are beginning to see the result of what they started a long year ago,”he said.
The Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh represented by the ministry’s Lagos state Liaison Officer, Ikhana Mbora appreciated the effort of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF for hosting this edition.
“We are impressed with the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF. I am not surprised by what we are seeing, owing to the fact that we are bringing all the countries to Nigeria to participate. I want to thank you all for coming,” he said.