Nigeria Scrabble Federation revised calendar of activities out

By Maxwell Kumoye

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), revised calendar of activities for 2023 season has been made public.

The new program and calendar of activities was made public on Tuesday by the Technical Director of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), John Curtis.

Curtis explained that club and players registration as well as State affiliation fees which started this month will end on the 31st of May.

The first major event in the 2023 calendar is the third edition of the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament in Lagos. The defending Champion, Enoch Tochukwu Nwali will start the defense of the Diadem he won last year on the second of June.

From Lagos, the scrabble train will move to Abuja for the NSF President Golden Jubilee Championship between the 15th and 17th of June. After the Jubilee Championship, scrabble players will congregate in Benin City, Edo State for Match Day 3 of the MGI League Series on the 24th of June.

The State Qualifiers for the new look NSF Inter Club Challenge Championship will start also on the 24th of June across the federation. Warri Scrabble Club (WSC), are the defending Champion.

All eyes will be on current NSF national and Africa number one player, Nsikak Solomon Etim when the first round of games are called in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as the third edition of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship gets under way on first of July.

Nsikak Etim, a former African Champion is the defending Champion of the Douye Diri Championship which he won at the expense of Champion of Champions and multiple National Sports Festival gold medalist, Olatunde Oduwole and talented, experienced wordsmith Prince Osahon Omosefe.

It’s a 24 rounds of games Championship that is in five categories, Masters, Intermediate, Opens, Veterans and Student event with over five million naira cash prize on offer.

The Technical Director of NSF, John Curtis, explained that the tournaments and Championships have been careful planned and position to help members of Team Nigeria heading to the World Championship shape up for the big battle that awaits them from the 22nd to the 26th of July in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The Super Special August scrabble activities will begin in the Rock City of Abeokuta with the South West Closed Championship, followed by Egbin Closed and then, the two-in-one PANASA President’s Cup as well as PANASA African Youth Scrabble Championship holding simultaneously in Lekki and Idimu all in Lagos between the 24th to 28th of August.

Lekki Scrabble Classic will close the month of September and start the month of October. The South South Open National Championship and the Abuja National Open Championship have been scheduled to take place in September too.

The month of October will be wearing the colours of MGI as the curtain falls on three of it’s events, MGI Premier League Finale, the Parton’s Cup and the MGI Grand Slam. The Premier League finale and the Parton’s Cup comes up on the 6th and 7th while the Grand Slam has been fixed for 14th and 15th of October, all in the Centre of Excellence, Lagos.

The South East Closed Championship will close the scrabble activities for the month of October. Owerri will host the South East jamming session on the 21st and 22nd.

Just like August, November is also another loaded month as State Qualifiers for the Inter Club Scrabble Challenge will be rounded off. Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classic (JAMSC) and second edition of the West African Scrabble Championship are the competitions line-up for November.

The NSF Inter Club Zonal play-off is expected to be decided in December after the Champion of Champions tournament in Benin City put together by Words and Wits Incorporated. Olatunde Oduwole won the last edition.

The 2022 NSF season ended in a spectacular fashion in March 2023 with the Scrabble Festival in Abuja, which is a four-in-one event. Asaph Zadok National Championship, NSF Inter Club Championship grand finale, Annual General Meeting (AGM), Awards and Gala Night.