Ekeruche crowned female singles champion with game to spare
...Africa's under 19 champion, Prestige Archibong misses the mark
...As Emelike siblings win 2 silver for Abia
By Maxwell Kumoye in Benin City
Delta State’s scrabble sensation, Sophia Ekeruche, has been crowned champion of the Female Singles event at the Niger Delta Games 2026, sealing the title with a game to spare in a commanding display of dominance.
Inside the scrabble hall at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Ekeruche delivered a masterclass in consistency, composure, and clinical finishing.
After nine rounds of intense competition, she stood unbeaten with a flawless 9–0 record and an imposing +1746 spread, numbers that told the story of her authority over the field.
Her decisive 430–302 victory over Rhoda Ikolo in the penultimate round confirmed what had been evident throughout the tournament, she was simply untouchable.
With one round still left to play, none of her closest challengers could mathematically catch her, handing the Delta star and World number one youth female player the gold medal ahead of schedule.
From the opening round, Ekeruche set the tone. Calm under pressure and ruthless on the board, she combined sharp vocabulary with tactical precision, steadily widening the gap between herself and the chasing pack.
Each round reinforced her status as the player to beat and no one found the answer.
Behind her, Roseline Emelike of Abia and Rhoda Ikoko of Bayelsa battled fiercely for podium positions, but Ekeruche had already built an unassailable lead.
While others stumbled, she remained steady, turning tight contests into convincing wins and capitalizing on every opportunity.
Winning a scrabble tournament unbeaten is rare. Winning it with a round to spare is emphatic.
For Ekeruche, the triumph is more than just a gold medal, it is a statement.
In a field packed with young and hungry competitors, she rose above them all, proving that preparation, discipline, and confidence remain the ultimate winning combination.
In the final round which is a repeat of round nine, Sophia Ekeruche again inflicted another painful wound on Rhoda Ikolo to end the competition unbeaten. 511–272.
That defeat relegated Rhoda Ikolo to the third place behind Roseline Emelike of Abia State with 8 wins and a cumulative of 710 points.
Sophia Ekeruche has not just won the Niger Delta Games female singles title, she has owned it.
In the male singles event, homeboy Clinton Imode had a perfect run, it was 10 over 10 to mine gold ahead of Samuel, Emelike of Abia and Bayelsa's Edide Pereowei .
Samuel Emelike and Edide Pereowei recorded 7 wins each but Emelike higher cumulative of 737 points gave him a silver medal. 338 points is Pereowei's cumulative points.
Africa's top youth player Prestige Archibong finished a disappointing Fifth with 6 wins.
Samuel Eromosele, one of the prominent youth coaches told FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG that, Prestige Archibong's no medal show in the singles event is a strong indication that other players up their game.
In 2023 Archibong won the Africa U-15 title in Lagos and two years later the Akwa Ibom young wordsmith captured the Africa U-19 crown in Kenya.
OUR COVERAGE OF THE 2ND EDITION OF THE NIGER DELTA GAMES IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
★ The Executive Director, Sports Development and Operations, Edo State Sports Commission (ESSC), Mrs Sabina Chikere
★ Emmanuel Egbele, CEO/Founder, Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Classics
★ The President, Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation, Olumide Oyedeji (OLY)
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