African Scrabble King Doko Headlines EEAST With ₦5M Prize Pool

African Scrabble Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko to Light Up EEAST as Over ₦5 Million Prize Pool Announced
Africa’s top-rated scrabble sensation, Oluwatimilehin Doko, is set to headline the fifth edition of the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament (EEAST), scheduled to hold at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on July 5th and 6th, 2025.

The Continental Champion, fresh off clinching a gold medal for Team Ogun at the 2024 National Sports Festival (Gateway Games), has confirmed his participation in what is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most competitive and lucrative scrabble showdowns.

“I’m ready for another intense board battle,” Doko told reporters on Tuesday. “EEAST has consistently raised the bar, and I look forward to facing the best minds once again”, said Doko.

Organizers have announced a whopping ₦5 million prize pool for this year’s event, with the Masters category alone offering a top prize of ₦700,000. The tournament will feature three distinct categories:

Masters (Elites) – for players with ratings of 1300 and above

Opens (Challengers) – for players rated below 1300

Veterans (Sages) – open to all without a rating cut-off

Each category will involve 18 games over two days, with fierce competition expected across the board.

Registration fees are set at ₦30,000 for the Elites, ₦20,000 for Challengers, and ₦25,000 for Sages. The tournament, sanctioned by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) and the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), has a registration deadline of July 1st, 2025.

With Oluwatimilehin Doko leading the charge, fans and enthusiasts can expect a thrilling display of skill, strategy, and word mastery at this year’s Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament.

Sports247.ng