Current African Champion, Nwali leads UNILAG Scrabble Club into the finals of NSF Inter Club Championship

Four more teams have punched their tickets into the finals of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Inter Club Championship scheduled to hold in Abeokuta the Ogun State Capital.

The teams are UNILAG Scrabble Club, Ikorodu SC, Pyramid Scrabble Club and Surulere SC, all from Lagos State. They secured their passage into the finals during the South West Zonal Play-Off.

Under the captaincy of current African Scrabble Champion, Enoch Nwali, UNILAG Scrabble Club dominated group A of the South West Play-off, recording three wins over Ibadan SC and BSP SC.

Nwali was supported by Kareem Jamiu who came third in the second edition of ‘Scrabble In The Jungle’ in Lagos last year, Babajide Alagbada, Tunde Saporu, the winner of the 2023 Engineer Toke Aka Jubilee National Open in Abuja, Ebenezer Toyeme and Victor Ukpe completes the UNILAG Scrabble Club team.

Ibadan SC finished second while BSP SC came third in group A.

Pyramid SC captained by Dipo Akanbi a former NSF Green Jacket holder, navigated their way into the final phase of the NSF Inter Club Championship with victories over Surulere SC and Egbin SC in group B.

Akanbi won 9 games out of 10 and he had the chance to do 10 over 10 but missed SAPIENS against Olaribigbe Hakeem of Surulere SC to seal the game.

The 2017 NSF Green Jacket holder played 22 bingos while Olaribigbe Hakeem who narrowly missed a podium finish at the 2023 MGI Grand Slam played 11 bingos:

Young and talented John Aiyedun, experienced Ayo Akinfemisoye and never say it’s over Femi Simpson as well as Femi-Ade Wahab and Omijeh Osaghaede were hand, fully charged to light up their pathway to the finals at Sarank Hotel, Egbin, Ikorodu, Lagos State, venue of the Play-Off.

Ikorodu SC with 3 wins was too strong for big guns from Lekki SC and Alausa SC that is making their maiden appearance in the NSF Inter Club Championship in group C.

The one affectionately called Dynamite, Khaleel Adedeji who last year helped stirred D’Warriors to win the second division of the MGI League, captained Ikorodu SC to land in the finals.

Winner of the inaugural Lekki Scrabble Classics, Victor Ewarah, the 2022 South West Closed Champion, ⁠ Adeyemi Adeosun, Michael Ogbonna, Julius Adeyemi, Aiyewunmi Adeyinka and the most improved scrabble amazon 2023, Priscilla Akhabue are part of Ikorodu SC.

Surulere SC sneaked into the NSF Inter Club Championship finals as winners of the second chance Play off. They edged out Ibadan SC and Lekki Scrabble Club with, three wins and a plus 450 cumulative points.

Kaduna Central Scrabble Club were the first team to pick their ticket to the finals of the NSF Inter Club Championship after brushing aside South Side Scrabble Club to pick the Northwest slot last month.

They secured their passage into the much awaited finals with the help of Sadiq Abubakar, Baba Adamu, Suraj Aminu, Orkuma Gideon, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir and Attahiru Abdullahi at the expense of South Side Scrabble Club also of Kaduna at the weekend after a titanic battle at the Jollywood Gardens, Sabon Tasha.

Apex Scrabble Club of Abuja, that parades the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Technical Director, John Curtis, his brother, Peter Ebomah, young and talented National Sports Festival gold medalist, Jimoh Abdulmumin, who is part of Team Nigeria to the African Games, 2023 winner of the MGI Pratons Cup, Anthony Odok, qualified for the Inter Club Championship finals from the North Central Zonal Play-Off.

Jos SC fondly called Rock Solid Jammers, also booked their place in the National finals next month by beating Central Scrabble Club Abuja A, B and C teams. Winning 11 rounds, 54 games and a cumulative of plus 1211 points.

A member of ‘Team Nigeria’ to the last West African Scrabble Championship (WASC), Negro Igbinadolor was the arrow head of the Rock Solid Jammers, he accounted for 27.7 percentage games won by Jos SC with 15 on the buns.

Alhassan Shaibu was two wins shy of Negro Igbinadolor who was firing from all cylinders, Henry Nwosu and Benjamin Isa garnered 9 wins each while Tunde Ayeni ended Zonal Play-Off with just 8 wins and a minus 425 points.

Anambra Scrabble Club, the sole entrance from the South East are also through to the national NSF Inter Club Championship finals.

South South is the only Zone yet to decide it’s Play-Off.

The head coach of the national team, Prince Anthony Ikolo told news men at the weekend that the South South Play-Off will be played after the African Games holding in Ghana.

Port Harcourt SC, Shell Scrabble Club, Yenagoa SC, Sapele SC, Benin City A and B teams and Warri Scrabble Club are the teams that will compete for the three slots from the South South Zone.

Warri Scrabble Club that parades famous wordsmith, Emmanuel Umujose, winner of the PANASA President’s Cup, Godwin Victor, Daystar Atti, Jacob Tone, Etuwa Larry, Akpojotor Ochuko and Peremor Ekpesaba are the defending champions of the NSF Inter Club Championship.

Teams that are through to the finals are: Jos Scrabble Club, Apex SC, Anambra SC, Abeokuta SC ( Host City) and Kaduna Central SC.
Others are; Surulere SC, Ikorodu SC, Pyramid SC and UNILAG Scrabble Club.

28 Clubs from 13 states of the Federation and the Nigeria Police started the race to reach the finals of the NSF Inter Club Championship.

The Inter Club Championship is one of the four events lined up for this year’s NSF Scrabble Festival.

The others are: Asaph Zadok National Championship, which produces the national champion who wears the NSF Green Jacket and State Champion, Annual General Meeting (AGM),
Awards and Gala Night

Delta State are the defending champions of the Asaph Zadok National Championship, with Eta Paul Karo as the holder of the NSF Green Jacket 2023.