Gambia Scrabble Federation seeks support for it’s activities

The Gambia Scrabble Federation (GSF), is appealing to well meaning individuals and corporate bodies to support the game of words in that landlocked West African country.

GSF made this passionate appeal shortly after the May edition of Mid Month Tournament in Banjul won by Nyass Ebrima ahead of Alhajie Darbo and Ebou Njie as well as Richard Sock the tournament number one seed.

Over 700 dollars was paid as prize money for the top four players at the end of the one day tournament.

The Mid Month Tournament which started in November 2023 but could not hold in March and April 2024 due to the Muslim Ramadan and the Eid Prayers.

The tournament resumed May 2024 but next month there will be no Mid Monthly Scrabble Tournament because of the Tobaski Prayers, but after June 2024 there will be the Mid Monthly Scrabble Tournament  organized by the Gambia Scrabble Federation.

Since their main sponsor Envy Group ended it’s relationship with GSF in February, the Federation has been working round the clock to get a new partner and despite the fact that they could not secure one they still went ahead to stage the Mid Monthly Scrabble Tournament for May.

“We are working to try and have a new sponsor, and very soon I believe we will get one with the effort of everyone,” GSF President Ebou Njie stated.

Ebou Njie further emphasized that the Federation wants the Mid Monthly tournament to take place twice in a month as this will keep all the players in shape for the West African Scrabble Championship (WASC) and the African Scrabble Championship (ASC), later this year.

Lack of funds forced The Gambia Scrabble Federation to miss the 13th African Games in Accra and only one player represented them at the African Scrabble Championship in Lusaka in 2022 and could not be part of the trip  to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA for the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) Championship due to the same reason.

It’s worth stating that during the West African Scrabble Championship in Lagos Nigeria, Richard Sock was among the top ten position.

It’s on record that the former President of Gambia Scrabble Federation Dr Abba Hydara facilitated the training of some Gambian tournament officials on the use of tsh software, the main software used in directing Scrabble Tournament.

Nigeria’s Khaleel Adedeji was the instructor.