African Games: Uganda, Nigeria Win Gold In Scrabble Team Events

Uganda and Nigeria have emerged as winners in the men and women team events respectively at the maiden Scrabble tournament at the African Games in Ghana.

Scrabble is featuring at the Games for the first time but as one of the demonstration sports at “Africa’s Olympics.”

The keenly contested mindgame saw over hundreds scrabble players showcase their word power in 27 rounds at the Alisa Hotel North Ridge in Accra, Ghana.

The encounters unpacked upsets and surprises as the eight English-speaking countries; Liberia, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Sierra Leone in the men’s category in Day One battle to qualify into the knockout stage.

After thrilling games, Nigeria qualified to face Uganda while Kenya slugged it out against Liberia in the semi-finals.

The turn out of the semi-finals left scrabble enthusiasts in shock as Uganda defeated favourites Nigeria 5 1⁄2 games with a cumulative spread of +95 to get to the final.

Also, Liberia secured 4 wins against Kenya with a cumulative spread of -15 to set up a tantalizing encounter with Uganda in the final.

In the third-place pairing, Kenya claimed the bronze medal after 5 wins and 4 losses with a cumulative spread of +152 while Nigeria didn’t make the podium having finished in the fourth position with 3 1⁄2 wins and 5 1⁄2 with a cumulative spread of -95.

However, Nigeria ruled in the female category after 6 wins and 3 loses with a cumulative spread of +325 while Kenya finished second after 3 wins and 6 loses with a cumulative spread of -325.

Zambia won the bronze medal after 9 wins with a cumulative spread of +1104 while Ghana ended at the fourth position losing all the nine matches with a cumulative spread of -1104.