PANASA backs Ghana’s WESPA championship hosting bid

Ifeanyi Eduzor

The Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), says they’re fully backing Ghana’s bid to stage the biggest scrabble event on planet earth, the WESPA Championship in two years time.
The President of PANASA, Adekoyejo Adegbesan made this known at the weekend in a chat with journalists.
“The Accra, Ghana 2025 WESPA Championship bid is a United Pan African bid and all member associations of PANASA are in support of it and will work for it’s realization.” Adegbesan stated.
Adegbesan, a tech expert, said: “We are already reaching out to other countries for the Pan African bid and the response is positive and equally encouraging. Africa has done a lot for the growth of scrabble globally, it’s time for us to also get what we truly deserve.”
In a bid to lubricate and make the Pan African WESPA championship 2025 bid irresistible to the World scrabble fraternity and stakeholders, the Scrabble Association of Ghana (SAG), and the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), have lined up series of competitions around the bid.
These includes; the PANASA President’s Cup 2025, the Ghana National Open as well as the West Africa Challenger that will cover a period of two weeks.
“Just like it happened during the last WESPA championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, we want to make Accra 2025 a two solid week of scrabble feast to the rest of the World. Africa is big when it comes to the game of words and mind, that’s what we want the world to know, feel, see and enjoy.” The PANASA boss added.
As regard funding and sponsorship, the passionate scrabble administrator, says the success story of the 2023 PANASA President’s Cup (Lekki-Lagos 2023), in the area of corporate backing will rub on WESPA championship 2025 and the government of Ghana is fully committed in making it a huge success.
“It’s interesting to note that a good number of corporate bodies and well meaning individuals are strongly behind the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) President’s Cup Lekki-Lagos 2023.
The list include, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Friesland Campina WAMCO Plc, Kenya Airways, Diageo Nigeria, Air Peace, Winifred Awosika Foundation, Ojeyz Security based in Ghana, Ayoci Energies Ltd, Atelier Architects, which is also a Ghanaian firm, Thrive Agriculture, SocialLiga, Midas Farm, Cinq-SAA, Madoms Global Trade, Boaz Commodities Ltd, Petrichor Group of Industries and BradMein Nigeria Ltd among others
Well meaning stakeholders and individuals with deep pockets and kind hearts like Engineer Gbenga Ojofeitimi, Musa Olasupo, Engineer Ojior Osikhena, Samuel Anikoh, Austin Isiekwe and SM Quartey have been oiling the sponsorship, partnership and support base of the PANASA President’s Cup.
172 players from 12 countries in Africa and America will be competing for honours at the President’s Cup that has a prize pool of 32,000 dollars.
We also understand that the second edition of the African Youth Scrabble Championship (SYSC), will be hosted by Kenya in 2025 in the beautiful city of Nairobi.
The choice of Kenya is based on a number of factors. Namely; It’s strategic location and connectivity to the rest of Africa, friendly business environment, It’s drive to make scrabble a household sports, government and corporate backing , good media coverage and It’s excellent ability to host major championship and it’s historical sporting heritage
The 2023 African Youth Scrabble Championship holds between the 24th and 28th of this month at the Chrisland School, Lekki-Lagos with over 150 young players from 12 countries expected to attend.