Scrabble: Kenya, Uganda, two others announce arrival date for PANASA President’s Cup

Ifeanyi Eduzor

Kenya, Uganda, Liberia and Sierra Leone have announced their arrival date for the maiden edition of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), President’s Cup and the African Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC), scheduled to hold between the 24th and 28th of this month at the Orchid Hotel Ikota-Lekki, Lagos State, South West, Nigeria.
Kenya will be coming with 25 players, 11 are coming from George Weah’s Liberia, Uganda ‘The Pearl of Africa’ will be in Nigeria with 10 players and Sierra Leone’s 5 man contingent is also due in Lagos the same day for Africa’s scrabble feast.
These four countries are due in Lagos for one of the most prestigious scrabble competitions, the PANASA President’s Cup on the 22nd of August, 2023.
The countries will also be coming in with their teams for the African Youth Scrabble Championship holding simultaneously with the President’s Cup on the wings of Kenyan Airways and Air Peace.
Nigeria has the largest representation of wordsmiths at the President’s Cup with 95 players.
President of PANASA Adekoyejo Adegbesan, told journalists at the weekend that, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Zambia, The Gambia and South Africa will furnish the Main Organizing Committee (MOC), with their travel plans next week.
172 players from 12 countries in Africa and America will be competing for honours at the President’s Cup while over 150 young and talented players will be participating in the inaugural edition of the African Youth Scrabble Championship (AYSC) holding at Chrisland School in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.
We understand that the members of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC), are expected to move into the PANASA secretariat on the 16th in Lagos.
In another heart warming development, two major conglomerates Nigeria Breweries Plc and Diageo Nigeria have thrown their weight behind the PANASA President’s Cup and the African Scrabble Youth Championship.
32,000 dollars is the prize money for the President’s Cup while 9,000 dollars has been set aside as prize money for the AYSC which has two categories, U-15 and U-19.
Participants in both competitions will have the honour and privilege of using the newly acquired PANASA customized star boards; designed and produced scrabble boards from Pakistan.