Tag: Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF)

The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Olobatoke Aka, has expressed  confidence  about the chances  of Team Nigeria at the forthcoming 2^nd  Pan African Youth Scrabble Championship in Kenya.

According to Aka, the Team Nigeria contingent of 10 players including seven male and three female will be leaving for Nairobi on Monday via Asky Airline.

Four of the players, he said,  are being  sponsored by Kwara State government while  two other players are heading to Nairobi on the bill of Bayelsa State  even as  Lagos, Edo, Niger and Akwa Ibom state are sponsoring one player each.

The  trio of  Sophia ⁠Ekeruche , Joy Eberechukwu Nwabuzor  and Eliana Igbe are the female  in the team while  the remaining male are: Saviour Onazi ,Hassan Olojoku  ,Sufyan Olojoku ,Abdulqudus Aliu ,Khalid Olosun , Prestige Archibong  and Damilola Adeleke

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Aka, who  is leading  the delegation to the championship,  said Nigeria will dominate the competition just as they did two years ago, winning all the titles at stake.

The Africa Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC) is a continental competition for young scrabble enthusiasts, organized by the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA).

The second edition is scheduled to take place in Kenya from August 14^th  to 17^th at Brighton International School in Syokimau, Machakos County.

The championship will feature two categories: Under 15 and Under 19, with 150 players from 11 countries expected to participate.

Recall that the 2023 African Youth Scrabble Championship which  held at Chrisland School, Lekki in Lagos,  featured two categories: Under 15 and Under 19, with participants from Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, and Uganda. The Nigerian duo of  David Ojih and Prestige Archibong, won the U-19 and U-15 titles respectively.

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), has concluded plans to conduct one its high graded  Tournament Director Certification Course  in their bid to harness the growth of the mind sport.

NSF President Engineer Toke Aka disclosed this yesterday  in a chat with journalists in the nation’s capital Abuja.

Aka explained that the course is a key part of the Federation’s programme to develop the sport that has brought glory, honour and recognition to the country.

 “The sport is growing at a fast speed across the country and there is an urgent need for high quality and standard of organization of scrabble events and tournaments. We need to help young and talented Tournament Directors to find their feet quickly too,” Aka said.

The NSF Boss, who is also a

An Executive Member of the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA),  Aka stated that the Certification Courses will take place in Abeokuta in Ogun State, Benin City in Edo State and Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

The first of the Tournament Director Certification Courses will take place during the Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo next month. The second Course will also hold next month in Benin City during the NSF Festival while the last and final Certification Course will take place in May, during the 22^nd  National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games in Abeokuta.

“NSF has carefully selected these locations to help save cost and other logistic needs for the attending participants. Participants from Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom will find the Uyo venue more convenient,” Aka stressed.

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Course participants based in Lagos, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti, will likely attend the Benin City Certification Course due to its proximity.

The Abeokuta Certification Course will offer all contingents from the North, South West and any other States that missed the first two exercise to be certified by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, the supreme body that governs the sport of scrabble in the country.

The Technical Director of NSF, John Curtis, Umar Faruq Baba-Inna, former NSF Technical Director, National Coach Sir. Prince Anthony Ikolo and the President of NSF Engineer Toke Aka will be in charge of the courses while Victor Anusa, the Scribe of NSF  will provide administrative assistance.

It’s impressive to state that all the recently appointed National Zonal Youth Coordinators are expected to attend this all important Tournament Director Certification Course which attracts a token participation fee of thirty thousand naira (N30,000:00) per participant and each Certification Course will span three days.

 “As these scrabble coaches go round the various schools and institutions they must be abreast with the latest rules and regulations about the sport and we at the Federation will continue to support them through these types of programme for the sport to grow at the right pace,” Aka concluded.

The Tournament Director is the highest official in the organizational of a scrabble event.