Two of the four of the countries expected to grace the subregion Championship, The Gambia and Ghana touched down at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Ghanaian contingent led by an Executive Committee member of the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) who also doubles as the President of the Scrabble Association of Ghana, Haruna Adamu, moved straight to Novatel Hotel, Lekki venue of the championship.
Similarly, The Gambians who landed in Lagos on the wings of Air Peace are already acclimatizing with the weather and Nigeria’s local dishes.
The Chairman of the Accommodation and Venue Sub Committee of the Championship, Bright Idahosa, said, Novatel Hotel, Lekki was chosen because of its serine and luxurious setting coupled with its first-class services.
“We want our players and our visitors from the West Coast to feel at home and enjoy the very best of Nigerian hospitality while here. The Hall for the competition is spacious and tournament friendly.” Idahosa said.
Members of Team Nigeria who are camping at the Woodpeckers Garden in Yaba will be moving into the championship hotel on Wednesday.
The much-anticipated West African Scrabble Championship (WASC) will begin Thursday, June 22 held in Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria.
According to the Woodpeckers Garden Hotel manager, Mr Abdul Fatai, he gave the assurance of offering quality service to the players ahead of the championship billed to start Thursday, June 22, 2023.
He gave a hint of the preparedness of the players, saying that since their arrival, the players have been in utmost readiness to give the topmost display for the board games.
Among the West African countries, the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has named a 21-man strong team for the forthcoming West African Scrabble Championship (WASC)
The team list is headed by the winner of the PANASA President’s Cup, Godwin Victor.
Others in the list include former World Champion and two-time African King, Wellington Jighere, who leads the list of the super heavyweight wordsmith in the 21-man contingent that also includes the current African Scrabble supremo Enoch Nwali.
Four other African Champions also made the roaster. They’re Nsikak Etim of Shell Scrabble Club of Port Harcourt, Moses Peter of Uyo SC, Rex Ogbakpa of Sapele SC and two-time African King Dennis Ikekeregor also from Sapele SC.
The defending champion Eta Karo leads the three players from Warri Scrabble Club in Team Nigeria. Emmanuel Umujose and Godwin Victor is the other Warri Scrabble Club member who will be representing Nigeria at the championship.
Team Nigeria is beefed up with young and talented wordsmith Doko Oluwatimilehin a final-year pharmacy student at the University of Lagos and a key member of the all-conquering Hurricane SC. Doko narrowly missed the top prize at the end of the MGI Grand Slam tournament in Lagos last month.
Twelve thousand dollars has been set aside as prize money for the individual and team events of the championship and the prize money pool of the individual category is for the top ten and top three for the team event.
The Technical Director of the second edition of the West Africa Scrabble Championship (WASC), John Curtis who doubles as the Chairman of the Sub Committee Technical and Tournament Logistics, says the West Africa Championship is a 28-game competition. 1 random, 22 lagged and 5 king of the hill pairings.
Eta Karo of Nigeria is the defending champion in the individual category while Nigeria holds the team event diadem won in Accra, the Ghanaian capital last year.
