African Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy Tour lights up Ghana
Photo: PANASA President Adekoyejo Adegbesan ( left) and the President of Scrabble Association of Ghana Haruna Adamu.
By Maxwell Kumoye
The historic African Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy Tour of the continent enters day two today (Tuesday), in Accra, Ghana.
The Dr, Mrs Winifred Awosika Trophy arrived the Kotoka International Airport Accra on Sunday and was received by the President of Scrabble Association of Ghana, Haruna Adamu, The Secretary General, Scrabble Association of Ghana, Christie Ashley. She is also Vice President of Ghana Chess Association and top Ghanaian scrabble players led by Victor Amartey, one of Ghana’s top player’s who is Las Vegas bound was also at the Airport to welcome PANASA President and the Trophy Tour delegation.
On Monday, the trophy was on display at the venue of the one day Scrabble Tournament in honour of the greatest Scrabble player from Africa, Nigeria’s Wellington Jighere a former World Champion and two time African Champion and current King of the Scrabble in the Jungle in Nigeria.
Jighere, a multiple National Sports Festival gold medalist with a host of national championships under his name, is in Ghana as part of effort by the Scrabble Association of Ghana to create more awareness about the game of words and the Pan African Association Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy Tour.
Today (Tuesday) the second of May, will be to be a very busy day as the AYSC Trophy named after a renowned educationist Dr, Mrs Winifred Awosika, will be received by Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Mustapha Ussif, the President of Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah and Ghana’s Director National Sports Authority will also play host to the Dr, Mrs. Winifred Awosika Trophy.
Winifred Adefolahan Awosika is an education icon. She is the Chairman and founder of Chrisland Educational Organisation, a global educational brand comprising a group of schools, and a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian educational sector. She was born to the illustrious Oshuporu chieftaincy family of Owo on February 13, 1940.
The Trophy Tour train will like wise make a stop over at the biggest privately owned radio station in Ghana, Joy FM before closing Tuesday’s tour at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
Tomorrow, Wednesday, the trophy will be taking round some selected schools in Accra and Tema. We gathered that students of Santa Barbara School Tema are one of the privileged institutions that will catch a close look at the Swatkins made nickel plated Dr, Mrs Winifred Awosika AYSC Trophy before it leaves the former Gold Coast for the cities of Eldoret and Nairobi in Kenya.
Liberia, Uganda and host Nigeria are some the other countries that the AYSC Trophy will tour before the start of the inaugural edition of the Pan African Youth Scrabble Championship holding at the Chrisland School Idimu-Lagos, Nigeria between the 24th and 28th of August, 2023.
Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), President Adekoyejo Adegbesan, explained in Accra, Ghana on Monday that the Dr, Mrs Winifred Awosika Trophy will tour a total of sixteen African countries and 19 cities.
Adegbesan who has spend just six months in office as PANASA President stated further that details of the rest of the Trophy Tour will be made public in due course.
Over a hundred and twenty children from 12 African countries are expected to compete for honours in two categories, U-15 and U-19 Championships with princely prizes on offer.
THIS IS THE REST OF THE AYSC TROPHY TOUR GUIDE:
APRIL 30 – MAY 1-3: Accra, Ghana
MAY 2:
★ Visit to the Minister of Sports
★ Visit to the Director National Sports Authority
★ Visit to Joy FM (Biggest privately owned radio station in Ghana)
★ Visit to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
MAY 3:
Visit to selected schools. Santa Barbara School, Tema is one of them
May 6-7: Eldoret, Kenya
May 8-9: Nairobi, Kenya
May 15-17: Abuja, Lagos, Nigeria
May 19-22: Monrovia, Liberia
May 25-27: Gulu, Kampala, Uganda
