27th May, 2010
Lagos State Scrabble Association, LSSA, has concluded plans to organise the first edition of the Lagos State Scrabble (closed) Championship coming up this weekend at the Sports Bar of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
The championship, which is being bank-rolled by Centre for Intervention, Development and Leadership, CIDL, will kick off tomorrow with the finals holding on Sunday.
Lovetta Alao, the Director of the company told P.M.Sports that the company is sponsoring the event as a way of giving back to the society. The winner will go home with the sum of N50,000 and a generating set.
She said the over-concentration on football is having a negative effect on sports development in the country, hence her company’s move to identify with scrabble, which is an intellectual sport that helps develop players’ mental ability.
Secretary of the Association, Agbana Comfort Ololade, explained that the association organised the tourney to keep the state players busy and their National ranking intact, as the sport will not feature in the next National Sports Festival.
She stated that about 20 clubs and some individuals have registered for the championship and the closing date for registration is Friday. Hostilities begin on Saturday.
“The tournament is another way of discovering hidden talents in the state. We will send those discovered during the tournament to clubs around their area of residence for further development,†she revealed.
The second place winner will go home with N30,000 and a generating set; third and fourth place gets N25,000 and a generator and N10,000 and a DVD player.
The Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele will lead other top dignitaries to the finals.
—Wale Joseph