Nigeria Scrabble Federation to hold three Tournament Director Certification Courses
Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), has concluded plans to conduct a Tournament Director Certification Course, in their bid to harness the growth of the mind sport.
The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka disclosed this in a chat with journalists in the nation’s capital Abuja on Wednesday.
Aka, explained that the Tournament Director Certification Course is a key part of the Federation’s programme to develop the sport that has brought glory, honour and recognition to the country.
“The sport is growing at a fast speed across the country and there is an urgent need for high quality and standard of organization of scrabble events and tournaments. We need to help young and talented Tournament Directors to find their feet quickly too,” Aka said.
The NSF Boss, who is also an Executive Member of the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA), stated that the Certification Courses will take place in three Nigeria cities, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Benin City, Edo State and Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital.
The first of the Tournament Director Certification Courses will take place during the Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo next month. The second Course will also hold next month in Benin City during the NSF Festival while the last and final Certification Course will take place in May, during the 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“NSF has carefully selected these locations to help save cost and other logistic needs for the attending participants. Participants from Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom will find the Uyo venue more convenient,” Engineer Toke Aka stressed.
Course participants based in Lagos, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Ondo, Anambra and Ekiti, will likely attend the Benin City Certification Course due to it proximity.
The Abeokuta Certification Course will offer all contingents from the North, South West and any other States that missed the first two exercise to be certified by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, the supreme body that governs the sport of scrabble in the country.
The Technical Director of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), John Curtis, Umar Faruq Baba-Inna, former NSF Technical Director, National Coach Sir. Prince Anthony Ikolo and the President of NSF Engineer Toke Aka will be in charge of the Courses while Victor Anusa, the Scribe of the Scrabble Federation will provide administrative assistance.
It’s impressive to state that all the recently appointed National Zonal Youth Coordinators are expected to attend this all important Tournament Director Certification Course which attracts a token participation fee of thirty thousand naira (N30,000:00) per participant and each Certification Course will last three days.
“As these scrabble coaches go round the various schools and institutions they must be abreast with the latest rules and regulations about the sport and we at the Federation will continue to support them through these type of programme for the sport to grow at the right pace,” Aka concluded.
The Tournament Director is the highest official in the organizational of a scrabble event.
This is the first time in recent years, a Tournament Director Certification Course will be held in Nigeria.
