29th May, 2012
As part of efforts to promote the game of scrabble in Nigeria, especially among Nigerian kids, a Lagos-based academy, Brainpower Scrabble Academy, held its maiden scrabble tournament in Lagos last weekend.
The tourney, tagged ZESKS 2012, a name coined from Zenith Sports Kids scrabble Show, paraded children under 17 years of age, and saw 10 kids participating at the first edition that was held at the King’s College in Yaba, Lagos.
At the end of the one-day tourney, Faleti Adekunle from Ogun State emerged as the overall champion, Sanya Adebola finished a no distant second, while Michael Odafe Mgbolu of King’s College Lagos finished in the third position.
The winners were given trophies, while all the participants were presented with certificates for their effort.
While speaking with P.M.Sports, organiser of the tourney, who is the Chief Executive Officer,CEO, of Brainpower Scrabble Academy, Wale Ilori said: “The aim of this innovative idea is to catch future scrabble players for the country at a young age and nurture them into stardom, where they would be able to represent the country at major championships.”
Reacting to why they did not organise the tourney at the end of the primary and secondary schools end of the session holiday period, Ilori said: “Our objective was for the kids to celebrate the Children’s Day anniversary with scrabble and for us to discover young scrabble talents, who would be resourceful to the country at the ‘World Youth Scrabble Championship’ that would hold later in the year.”
Some of the sponsors of the tourney include, Zenith Sports Limited, Principal of King’s College, Lagos and the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF.
By Bamidele Olowosagba