Scrabble boards, tiles and racks were busy on March 15, 2024 as wordsmiths across the continent displayed their dexterity and prowess on Day One as the mind game made its grand entry as a demonstration sport in the ongoing 13th African Games in Ghana.
Scrabblers from twelve African countries were elated seeing the light of the game for the first time at the 50 year-old continental multi-sports event.
The players who were from both the English-speaking and French-speaking countries, were cladded in their national colours and armed with their flags, gave a beautiful representation of the game held at Alisa hotel North Ridge in Accra the Ghanaian capital.
Day One of the event saw the shaking-sound of tiles bags, high concentration of moves of tiles on the board arousing smiles and beaming dissatisfaction and on some occasions frustration on the faces of the players in both the single and team events.
After some intense exchange of 27 rounds in the team event of the women’s category, Nigeria ranked highest with 22 wins, losing five games with a cumulative spread of +2478.
Kenya finished in second after 14½ wins and to garner the cumulative spread of +526 while Zambia ended in the third position after 10 wins, losing 17 games with a cumulative spread of -1367.
Ghana finished at the rear with 7⅐ wins and lost 19½ with a cumulative spread of- 1637 points.
After finishing the rounds, the top two Nigeria and Kenya qualified to play in the final while Zambia will face Ghana to battle for bronze.
In the men category, Group A, Liberia won 19 and a draw and lost seven and a draw with a cumulative spread of +854 while Uganda won 15 and lost 12 with a cumulative spread of +735.
Also, Ghana won 14 and lost 13 with a cumulative spread of +627 while Zambia won five and a draw win and lost 21 and a draw with a cumulative spread of -2216.
in group B, Nigeria won 17½ and dropped 9½ games, scoring a cumulative spread of +1724 to finish at the top of the ranking while Kenya trailed behind with a point after winning 17 and losing 10 games with a cumulative spread of +1052.
Meanwhile, Zambia ended in third after 13½ wins with a cumulative spread of -344.
Also, Sierra Leone finished in fourth position after six wins and 21 losses with a cumulative spread of -2342.
