The Pan African Scrabble Association,(PANASA), the continent’s governing body has withdrawn the Africa Scrabble Championship (ASC) hosting rights from Sierra Leone and named Kigali, Rwanda as the venue of the biennial event.
Freetown was chosen as the host at the 2022 ASC in Lusaka, Zambia but the decision was reversed citing low level of preparations with a little over two months to the championship in October.
President Adekoyejo Adegbesan who broke the news argued that the main reason for taking the painful but necessary decision was to keep the high standards required of a scrabble tournament.
“I am pleased to announce that the 15th Africa Scrabble Championship will now hold in Kigali, Rwanda, with dates remaining unchanged.” He declared.
He further affirmed that the inability of the Local Organising Committee to convince and prove to the body at different meetings of it’s concrete steps at hosting the rest of the continent pushed the PANASA into taking the step.
Adegbesan also cited issues around high charges of travelling on arriving and departing Freetown even within the country’s capital.
He believed that with the choice of Kigali, the Rwandan capital as the host, the association will onboard new countries into the scrabble fold and bring more opportunities to the game.
He added that, the implications will see the association taking responsibility for championship in Kigali while the constitution will be reviewed.
“The 15th ASC is being organized by PANASA and not a region, so the 16th ASC bid will be opened to West African countries only. I have asked the constitution review committee to consider certain weak aspects of our constitution around bidding for the ASC. This should no longer be a decision we take at the venue of the ASC but one that should allow for time to review all bids against certain criteria, amongst which must include effects of the ASC in the bid country, the readiness, ability to prove that sponsorship will be detached from government funding, cost of travel to bid country amongst others. That is the only way we can ensure this does not reoccur again.”
He appealed to the National Scrabble Association of Sierra Leone (NSASL) to see the decision by the PANASA Executive Committee in a positive light.
The decision however, did not sit well with the SLSA who protested against the withdrawal.
Emmanuel King on behalf of the association expressed displeasure and lack of faith by the PANASA leadership in the process of delivering the championship despite challenges.
He claimed they did secured government backing and had hoped to build on the success recorded at the African Games held in March in Accra to wing in more support to the development of scrabble.
Meanwhile, the 15th ASC which also coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the PANASA will hold at the Olympics Hotel from October 23 to 27.
