Newly minted African Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko has confirmed he will be competing at the 3rd South-West Scrabble Opens Tournament taking place in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State.
Doko who was crowned the new King of the continent just last Sunday in Kigali, Rwanda is the biggest name scheduled to add sparks to the championship which is well known for throwing up exciting outcome with dotting exciting prizes.
The 24 year-old Pharmacy undergraduate of the University of Lagos who is still very fresh from his conquest after a 25-7 (+2244) result, will be rubbing his winning aura on the table at the first tournament holding after the 15th African Championship.
Tayo Ogunseye engaged the calculative Word-Warrior in a rapid chat as he revealed his next stop will be the prestigious South-West Scrabble Opens Tournament which will hold from 2-3 November in Akure, Ondo State.
Question: Congratulations on your conquest on the continent, how is the feeling like especially after you had that dance in Kigali?
Doko:I feel quite elated to have won such a prestigious tournament. The tournament was quite an enjoyable one with players of very high caliber from all over the continent, so it was thrilling to have put forth a good enough performance to come out tops.
Question: At what point did you know that the ASC title was in your bag?
Doko: I guess after I played debrides for 167 points in Round 31.
Caption: Doko with 2nd-placed George Ezinore at ASC, Kigali
Question: What came to your mind when you realised that you were the new African King in Scrabble?
Doko: I was mostly glad and viewed it as a culmination to all the work I’ve invested in the game.
Question: Who was the first to send you a congratulatory message from your family?
Doko: My Dad.
Question: How much do you cherish the ASC title?
Doko: Its the highest title one can receive in Scrabble on the continent, so I do cherish it a lot.
Questions: Next tournament in Nigeria is the South-West Scrabble Opens Tournament, Many of your fans would like to know, would you be in Akure for one of the exciting tournament in the country?
Doko: Yes, I plan to attend the Southwest opens tournament this weekend.
Question: What makes the SWCOT attractive?
Doko: Its taking place in the beautiful city of Akure which is quite accessible from all parts of the Southwest region and will feature players from all over the country with attractive prizes, so it’ll definitely be a great experience.
Question: What’s your advice for those who are yet to make up their minds on attending “AKURE 2024” ?
Doko: I’d say to hurry up and register while they still can.
Questions: Both you and Enoch Nwali the immediate past champion have been a good beam for the game, what keeps you two perching at the peak despite your ages?
Doko: Just hard work and consistency really. I know Enoch works very hard at Scrabble, and I invest a lot of time into improving at the game too, so I’d say any successes we’ve had are a result of the work we’ve put in over the years.
