L-R: NSF President Olobatoke Aka Presents the BIST Plaque to Winner Abdulmumin Jimoh in Lagos
Abdulmumin Jimoh became the first winner of the inaugural Bubbles Invitational Scrabble Tournament (BIST) in style as he won all 12 rounds without dropping a game.
On a field which paraded some tested hands including the immediate past African champion Enoch Nwali in the mind game, Jimoh who was still fresh from winning a gold medal at the 22nd National Sports Festival wasted no time in riding on his rich-vein of form to move to Table One from Round 6 where he would discard different advances from his rivals including former World No. 9 Opeyemi Oloro twice to engrave his name on the maiden title.
Jimoh who finished fourth at the 2024 African championship and has always been hovering around the class of individual trophy winners, finally found the key to land his first tournament title in recent times.
Jimoh receives a handshake from rival Joseph Olowoyeye in Round 12
He would do so in style with two rounds left in the 10th round having built a healthy space with a massive cumulative points in his kitty.
“I feel happy! First and foremost, I have to give thanks to God for the opportunity. I don’t think I’m better than any of the players here but I just believe it’s just my time.” declared the unassuming lad.
Jimoh becomes the first player in recent times to run through the rounds without dropping a game in a tournament.
“I want to thank the organisers of the BIST. It wasn’t easy playing among players from different parts of the country,we have some champions and the immediate past African champion in Enoch Nwali here. The game just came to me.”
His closest rival David Ojih recorded a total of 9 wins and +602 cumulative points while Adebola Samuel who also got same number of wins but with a lower cumulative spread of +474 finished third.
Co-organiser Femi Awowade who acknowledged the high-quality of competition and healthy rivalry amongst the players, called for more ways in lifting the game to an expected height.
Meanwhile, Osikhena Ojior a member of the veterans with President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Olobatoke Aka led the scrabble community in observing a one-minute silence after news on the fatal accident involving Kano State contingent to the 22nd National Sports Festival filtered into the playing hall.
21 members lost their lives in an auto-accident while returning home from the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
Other notable personalities who paid their respect included; Pan African Scrabble Association President Adekoyejo Adegbesan, scrabble federation founding father Gen. Gold Eburu, NSF South Zonal representative Emmanuel Egbele, State chairmen, club presidents among others.
