Gateway Games : Ogun leads scrabble medal table as event ends today

Hosts Ogun, recovered from a poor start in the scrabble singles event at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games 2024 to dominate the doubles event as activities at mind sports ends today.

Team Ogun led by Continental Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, Abdulmumin Jimoh won three gold in the Men’s, Women’s doubles and Intermediate doubles to lead the scrabble medal chart ahead of Team Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Team Bayelsa on two gold each.

Delta are occupying the fourth spot with a gold, a silver and a bronze while Edo State has gathered 4 silver medals in the scrabble event.

The pair of Oluwatimilehin Doko and Abdulmumin Jimoh took the Master’s double gold with 10 wins and a draw with a cumulative points of plus 844 from 15 games ahead of Lagos duo of John Aiyedun and Continental Champion Enoch Nwali who had 10 wins and plus 685 cumulative points.

Godwin Victor and George Ezinore in the colours of Edo State took bronze ahead of Delta State’s team to Emmanuel Umujose and Tega Okiemute. Edo and Delta both had 9 wins each but Team Delta was relegated to fourth spot without a medal due to lower cumulative points. 488 points for Edo and 204 for Delta.

Africa Games gold medallist, Adebisi Adekansi and All Nigeria Scrabble Amazon winner, Bukunmi Afolayan representing Ogun State were just too strong in the female doubles field as they ran away with the gold medal with 13 wins and 1984 cumulative points.

The very young Team Lagos girls, Priscilla Akhabue and Sophia Ekeruche came second with 11 wins and plus 1395 points and Edo State’s team of multiple National Youth Games champion Joy Nwabuzor and Egbe Ekun finished on the podium too.

Again, just like in the Master’s double, Edo denied Delta of a podium finish with a higher cumulative points of plus 1364 as against 824 of Delta with both teams on 10 wins. Ageless Tuoyo Mayuku and Nkechi Onofomi were the victims of lower cumulative points.

Friday Ogboyomi and Oluwasogo Oguntade of FCT won the doubles intermediate gold, Olatunde Adigun and Sunday Ituah of Lagos settled for silver while Akwa Ibom took bronze. Prestige Archibong and Akamabong Okoridem are the flag bearers from the land of promise in the doubles event.

It’s Ogun, Oyo and Abia in the Opens double medal honours.

So far Ogun, Bayelsa, FCT, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Osun and Oyo have registered their presence on the scrabble medal table at the 22nd National Sports Festival and this figure is four shy of the last Festival in Asaba.

Meanwhile , the curtain will fall on the scrabble event at the Festival with the conclusion of the Team event in the four categories, Masters, Intermediate, Opens and Female.

THE MEDAL TABLE:

Ogun 3 gold – 1 silver – 1 bronze
FCT 2 gold – 1 bronze
Bayelsa 2 gold
Delta 1 gold – 1 silver – 1 bronze
Edo 4 silver – 1 bronze
Lagos 2 silver
Abia 1 bronze
A. Ibom 1 bronze
Osun 1 bronze
Oyo 1 bronze