Sports Groove

By Maxwell Kumoye      The World English-Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) has announced that Bangkok, Thailand, will host the 2027 World Scrabble Championship (WSC) and the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC). The prestigious tournaments will be organised by the Thailand Crossword Game Association (TCA) in partnership with the Bangkok Crossword Club (BCC), bringing together the world's best Scrabble players for two weeks of elite competition. According to WESPA Secretary Chris Lipe, the World Youth Scrabble Championship will take place from August 27 to 29, 2027, with a WESPA Youth Plate event running concurrently.  The senior World Scrabble Championship will follow from September 1 to 5, 2027, alongside a public side event designed to engage local and international Scrabble enthusiasts. Ahead of the main championship, organisers will also stage a Last Chance Qualifying Tournament, giving players one final opportunity to earn a place in the global s...

By Maxwell Kumoye      The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has thrown its weight behind the nomination of Hassan Olojoku Abdulrafiu for the position of National Youth Coach, citing his impressive track record in grassroots development and youth excellence. Olojoku, who currently serves as North Central Youth Coordinator of the federation and Kwara State Youth Coach, has built a reputation as one of the country’s most effective youth trainers.  His tenure in Kwara has been marked by sustained dominance at the National Youth Games, where his players have consistently delivered multiple gold medals, reinforcing the state’s status as a powerhouse in youth scrabble. Beyond the domestic scene, his athletes have made significant impressions internationally, representing Nigeria at the World Youth Scrabble Championship and securing podium finishes at the African Youth Scrabble Championship. These achievements, according to the federation, underline his ability ...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Africa’s finest wordsmiths will converge on Monrovia this October as the continent gears up for the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship, promising a high-stakes showdown and a total prize pool of $35,000. Scheduled for October 18–25, 2026, the week-long tournament will take place at the prestigious Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, setting the stage for a battle of intellect, strategy, and nerves across 32 grueling rounds. With $10,000 earmarked for the eventual champion, the competition is expected to attract top-ranked players from across Africa, all vying not just for prize money but continental supremacy and ranking points. Organised by the Pan African Scrabble Association, the championship will also see prizes distributed among the top 20 finishers, further intensifying the race for the podium. Beyond the board, the tournament represents another milestone in the growth of Scrabble on the continent, with Liberia stepping into the spo...

By Maxwell Kumoye    A fresh chapter has begun at the Jos Scrabble Club and it starts with a decisive move at the top. At elections held on February 21, members handed the reins to Antony Ajao, who emerged as the club’s new Coordinator, ushering in what many believe will be a defining phase for one of Plateau’s most vibrant scrabble communities. Ajao steps into the role vacated by Henry Nwosu, whose two-year tenure transformed the club from a modest gathering of enthusiasts into a structured and competitive force.  In his farewell remarks, Nwosu thanked members for their trust and praised his Executive Committee for their loyalty and resilience. And there was plenty to be proud of under Nwosu’s watch, the club achieved key institutional milestones: • Securing registration at the local government level • Opening a corporate bank account • Formalizing membership registration • Adopting a working constitution • Membership numbers swelled • The club’s administrati...

By Mishael Emmanuel    The countdown has officially begun to what promises to be a historic edition of the Africa Scrabble Championship, as preparations intensify for the 16th ASC, scheduled for October 21–25, 2026 in Monrovia, Liberia. Since Liberia was officially confirmed as host, the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) and the National Scrabble Association of Liberia (NASAL) have been working behind the scenes to deliver a tournament that will raise the bar for Scrabble on the continent.  Early indicators suggest the Monrovia edition will be the most ambitious in the championship’s 32-year history. At the heart of the excitement is a record-breaking tournament budget, the largest ever proposed for an Africa Scrabble Championship.  The scale of investment has earned NASAL widespread commendation from African federations and players alike, signalling a strong commitment to professionalism, player welfare and competitive excellence. The prize struc...

Scrabblemania 3.0 in Sinkor, Monrovia didn’t just crown a new champion but it also delivered a statement.  A statement about rising talent, growing ambition, and a city preparing to become the centre of African Scrabble. At the heart of it all was Nigeria’s Abdulmumin Jimoh, whose near-flawless performance set the tone for a championship defined by precision, intensity, and elite-level board mastery.  With 26 wins, 4 losses after gruelling competition and a colossal +2612 spread, Jimoh didn’t merely win; he controlled the narrative from start to finish. But beyond the numbers, Scrabblemania 3.0 offered a clear glimpse into Africa’s rapidly maturing Scrabble ecosystem which was clearly visible in Accra during WESPAC 2025. A CHAMPIONSHIP THAT DELIVERED MORE THAN TITLES Held at the prestigious Boulevard Palace, the tournament brought together some of the continent’s sharpest wordsmiths. What stood out wasn’t just the competitiveness, but the camaraderie, something you...

…Promises big support for national teams By Maxwell Kumoye    Nigeria’s dominance of global Scrabble has once again been stamped in bold ink and one of the sport’s biggest admirers, Charles Oshanugor, is leading the applause. Oshanugor, a respected Match Commissioner with the Nigeria Soccer Federation USA (NSF-USA), hailed Team Nigeria’s historic performance at the 2025 World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) in Accra, where the Green Locusts outclassed 26 nations, including long-time giants, the United States. Team Nigeria didn’t just win. They raided Accra. With 350 wins, a massive +8975 spread, and a dominant 54.7% win rate, the team stormed to the Best Country Crown, leaving hosts Ghana and perennial rivals Kenya trailing far behind in what has been described as the best-organized WESPAC in history. “For Nigeria to wrestle the crown from the USA and the rest of the world is simply monumental,” Oshanugor said, his voice bursting with pri...

...Opens doors for fresh talent and new ideas  By Maxwell Kumoye    The world governing body for English-language Scrabble has hit the reset button.  In a bold move signaling a fresh chapter for the mind sport, the newly constituted WESPA Executive Committee has dissolved all existing subcommittees, clearing the decks for what it calls “a new era” of governance, structure, and global collaboration. In a statement signed by WESPA Secretary Chris Lipe, the federation thanked outgoing committee members for years of service before throwing the doors wide open for new blood. The message to the global Scrabble community is loud and clear, WESPA wants credible, committed, and capable individuals to help shape the future of the game. And the portfolios now up for grabs are some of the most influential in the sport. MAJOR SUBCOMMITTEES UP FOR RENEWAL From managing the global tournament calendar to shaping the ethical backbone of competitive play, WESPA has announc...

By Maxwell Kumoye with additional report by Dipo Akanbi   The 2025 WESPAC World Scrabble Championship in Accra delivered the kind of high-voltage drama that only elite mind sports can produce, streaks that defied logic, recoveries that stunned the field, and performances that lit up the Ghanaian capital. And at the centre of that electricity stood Nigeria’s own Timi Woko, who exploded out of the blocks with the tournament’s first jaw-dropping feat, a perfect 7–0 Day 1, sending shockwaves across the halls of The Palms Hotel Accra. Woko’s opening blaze didn’t stop there. Riding the momentum from his 8–0 sweep in the Last Chance Qualifier, he stitched together an outrageous 18 straight wins in just three days, a streak that left spectators buzzing and analysts scrambling for superlatives. But he wasn’t the only player to put up a flawless day. Canada’s World Champion, Adam Logan, turned Day 4 into a personal demolition zone, ripping through opponents with an 8–0 masterclas...

By Maxwell Kumoye   After a long, gruelling season of tense boards, tight racks, high-stakes words, and marathon tournaments, that ended with the glorious and prestigious Best Country Crown at the 2025 WESPAC in Accra, Ghana. Nigeria’s Scrabble community is finally doing something completely different, dropping their tiles, racks, boards and stepping into full December groove mode, fully activated. This year, Scrabble Players and Friends are switching things up in grand style with the “Detty December All-White Party,” a premium end-of-year celebration set to light up Rowe Park Poolside in Lagos on December 27, 2025. For players who have spent months crunching probabilities, studying word lists, surviving nail-biting games, and travelling across cities for competitions, this event is perfectly timed, a chance to UNWIND, RECONNECT, and CELEBRATE the close of an intense competitive calendar. A NIGHT OF PURE VIBES With the high-energy DJ Teewisky on the decks and Hypeman C...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Fresh off the electrifying World English-Language Scrabble Players Championship (WESPAC) in Accra, Ghana, President of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), Adekoyejo Adegbesan, says Africa must seize the moment and he is already sketching a future bursting with possibility. With two major regional championships, two senior competitions, and a growing biannual Youth Scrabble Championship already on the continent’s calendar, Africa has never been more active on the global Scrabble map. But Adegbesan believes this is only the beginning. “We’ve tasted what is possible,” he declared, outlining how the momentum from WESPAC 2025 can transform Scrabble into a continental powerhouse. At the heart of his vision is education. Adegbesan wants Scrabble embedded in school curricular across Africa, describing it as a proven tool for building vocabulary, sharpening critical thinking, and enhancing strategic problem-solving in young learners. But he’s...

By Maxwell Kumoye who was in Accra    Oluwatimilehin Doko, Africa’s brightest Scrabble mind and Nigeria’s standout star at the 2025 WESPAC in Accra, has dedicated his phenomenal performance to one man, Adekoyejo Adegbesan, Chairman of the Ogun State Scrabble Association and President of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA). Fresh off a breathtaking run that saw him finish 5th in the world, the West African Champion and African Scrabble King revealed that Adegbesan was the driving force behind his journey to Accra. “My trip to Ghana and the entire preparation, behind it wouldn’t have been possible without Mr. Adegbesan,” Doko said.  “He has been incredibly supportive and helpful since I joined the Ogun State Scrabble Association and the Gateway Scrabble Club. This outing is for him.” The soft spoken Doko also credited former NSF President Engineer Olobatoke Aka and national coach Anthony Ikolo for playing vital roles in shaping his young but glittering...

...As Canada's Adam Logan wins the individual diadem By Maxwell Kumoye in Ghana          In a blistering, history-bending performance that electrified Accra, Team Nigeria ripped the Best Country crown away from the all-powerful United States, storming to the summit of the 2025 WESPAC World Scrabble Championship and rewriting African Scrabble history in the process. From Day One to Day Four, the 15-man Nigerian squad didn’t just compete, they ruled, turning the Ghanaian capital into a theatre of dominance. And at the centre of the storm? Oluwatimilehin Doko the 25-year-old sensation spearheading Nigeria’s conquest alongside Abdulmumin Jimoh, Tega Okiemute, Godwin Victor, and captain Rex Ogbakpa. NIGERIA’S NUMBERS WERE BRUTAL 350 wins +8975 cumulative points spread 54.7% winning ratio These weren’t just statistics, they were a statement. A roar. A dethroning. A message to the United States, who arrived with 19 players: “This is Africa’s time.” Two...

  Victorious members of Team Nigeria to the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are due in Abuja on Wednesday. The team of four players and one official is expected to touch down in the nation's capital by 12.05pm aboard Ethiopian Airlines. Team Nigeria through Sophia Ebube Ekeruche, won the Best Female crown at the World Youth Scrabble Championships, the first time a wordsmith from the continent is achieving such a feat. Only last month, Sophia Ebube Ekeruche, made history by winning the U-15 category at the African Youth Scrabble Championships in Kenya, the first female to do so and did that without dropping a game. Captain of Team Nigeria, Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, narrowly missed the first position in the World to Madhav Gopal Kamath of India. Aehzam Ahmed of Pakistan came third. Shortly after this historic outing by Team Nigeria, the President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Olobatoke Aka, said; “Nigeria scrabble has come of a...

...Becomes the first sets of Africans to finish on the podium ...Aliu wins second overall trophy, as Sophia Ekeruche wins best female title      History was made in far away Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital on Sunday evening as two young talented wordsmith engraved Nigeria's name in the words and mind sport hall of fame. Team Nigeria captain Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, became the first Nigerian and African to win a silver medal at the World Youth Scrabble Championships by finishing second behind India's Madhav Gopal Kamath. Aliu ended the highly competitive and gruelling Championship with 19 wins from 24 games and 1406 points behind Madhav Gopal Kamath, who recorded 21 wins and a cumulative point of plus 2354. Aehzam Ahmed of Pakistan came third with 17 wins and 1728 points. It was a double celebration for Team Nigeria and Africa as Sophia Ebube Ekeruche, became the first female from the continent to win the best female diadem. The girl from the City of Aquati...

...As dominant Captain Abdulqudus Aliu leads the chase for glory   Barring any major last minute changes or poor runs, Team Nigeria at the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia will finish on the podium in the individual event. Captain Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, who recorded 7 wins in 8 games on the opening day on Friday, had another solid outing on Saturday with 8 wins from 9 games at the end of proceeding. Aliu, is currently occupying the second spot on the table with 15 wins just like India's Madhav Gopal Kamath but Aliu has a lower cumulative point of plus 1404 while the Indian is on 1933 cumulative points. Sophia Ebube Ekeruche is four wins away from the two front runners. Ekeruche is on 11 wins and plus 618 points. Prestige Archibong and Joy Nwabuzor have an equal number of wins -10 but Archibong has a higher cumulative of plus 971 while Nwabuzor is on 365 points. TEAM NIGERIA STANDING: 2 . Abdulqudus Aliu 15 +1404    27. Sophia Eke...

...Team Captain Aliu leads the Nigeria Eaglets with seven wins on Day 1 By Maxwell Kumoye     Members of Team Nigeria to the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia started their quest for honours on an impressive note on Day 1 of the competition. Captain Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, is the highest ranked member of Team Nigeria at the end of play on Day 1 with 7 wins from 8 games and a fine cumulative points of plus 784 at number 7 on the table of 218 players. Aliu, the teenager who hopes to study English Literature in the University, completed his sensational start in Kuala Lumpur with a five point margin win 412–407 over Pakistan's Manaal Asher. Africa U-19 champion, Prestige Archibong and Joy Nwabuzor are on 6 wins each. Archibong has 808 points and Nwabuzor cumulative points is 367.  Joy Nwabuzor had a poor start in the championship, dropping her first two games but after those opening defeats, Joy Eberechukwu Nwabuzor started radiating w...

...We are ready for the big challenge - Captain Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu  ...NSF lauds National Sports Commission for backing the team      Members of Team Nigeria to the World Youth Scrabble Championships (WYSC), have landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia venue of the competition. Team Nigeria, made up of four players, under the captaincy of Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, touched down in the Malaysian capital on Friday evening 5.22pm local time, on the wings of Ethiopian Airlines. Other members of Team Nigeria are AYSC U-19 champion Prestige Archibong, U-15 winner Sophia Ebube Ekeruche and Joy Eberechukwu Nwabuzor. They will be competing in two different categories of the globe competition that has 21 countries and over 140 players in attendance. Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are representing Africa. Before leaving for the World Youth Scrabble Championships, the team camped in Abuja for three days. They are confident of a good outing and seek to improve on Team Ni...

...Abdulqudus Aliu to captain the team to Malaysia, as lack of funds may force Nigeria to abort the all important trip  By Maxwell Kumoye         The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), has named four players, two male and two females to represent the country at the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Malaysia.   The team will be captained by a serial winner at the youth level, Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, a multiple gold medal winner at the National Youth Games to Malaysia tagged 'Prepared to Conquer' trip. Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu was part of Team Nigeria to the last World Youth Championship in Sri Lanka where he finished among the top 25 players out of the 134 in attendance despite missing the opening game of Day 2 of the competition.  Another member of Team Nigeria is Prestige Archibong who recently won the U-19 category of the African Youth Scrabble Championships in Kenya. Another talented wordsmith that made the cut is 2025 African Y...

... Winning the challengers category was an unexpected blessing  By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye            The fifth edition of the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament, (EEAST), may have come and gone but the echoes of the quintessential annual event will linger for a long time in the hearts of the Scrabble firmament. Bukunmi Afolayan, winner of the challengers event at the prestigious event, recounts what it felt like to claim the top spot in the challengers category. Bukunmi Afolayan stated that winning the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament was an unexpected blessing for her, adding that the quality of players at the event made it extremely difficult to crown an early winner. She made this known in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG's Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye, emphasizing that EEAST remains an all-important event in Nigeria. “It was a tough one like, I didn't expect to take home the to...