Scrabble: Akpabio To Sponsor Players To World Championship

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, South-South, Nigeria, has promised to pay all expenses of Nigeria’s scrabble players at the ongoing World Scrabble Championship in Warsaw, Poland.

The governor made the disclosure at the closing ceremony of this year’s Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics which ended on Monday in Uyo.

He said: “It always gives me pleasure to identify with the game of scrabble and I will always do my best to ensure our players are given the opportunity to compete against their counterparts across the globe.”

A total prize money of $50,000 was committed to the championship spreading across four categories; the Masters, Intermediate, Opens and the Veteran category. The winner in the Masters category took home $12,000 and a giant trophy.

This year’s attendance was 259, slightly lower than last year’s, with players from across Africa, Singapore and Thailand.

The championship took place at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel. Scrabble players from all over the world competed at the prestigious international scrabble event.

Recently, the scrabble family was thrown into turmoil as nine players took up arms against the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF, over various issues, chief of which was the deduction of some percentages from their earnings.

The suspended players include Chinedu Okwelogu, Wellington Jighere, Eta Karo, Seidu Ayorinde, Deniss Ikekeregor, Prince Omosefe, Cyril Umebiye, Venayori Kinga and Emmanuel Umujose.