The president of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Bright Idahosa has made a strong case for a return of the game of words to this year’s National Sports Festival in the capital of Enugu State.
READ ALSO: ‘I lost My Tooth’ Alloy Agu Recalls Losing a Tooth in Kumasi While Playing for Nigeria’s ‘Green’ Eagles
Sports247 reports that Idahosa is banking on the confirmation of scrabble as an event at the maiden National Intermediate Games in Lagos to further push for its presence at Coal City 2026.
Idahosa also noted the presence of National Sports Commission (NSC) director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade at the recent Scrabble Causeway Championship in Thailand as a positive sign rolling in favour of the words’ game.
He thanked Olopade and other officials of the NSC for showing love and support for scrabble, which he said has a huge following across the country and has brought lots of international glory for Nigeria over the years.
The NSF president also expressed optimism that far-reaching support from Olopade and renewed interest generated by scrabble’s inclusion at the first Intermediate Games will pave way for its return to the festival when the multi-sports competition holds in Enugu.
“We are hopeful that scrabble will be restored to the National Sports Festival programme in Enugu. The sport has consistently delivered medals and international recognition for Nigeria. Its inclusion will further strengthen the festival’s status as a true celebration of all sports.
“Honourable Bukola Olopade has shown exceptional leadership since assuming office. His passion for sports development, willingness to engage stakeholders and commitment to giving every sport a fair chance are worthy of commendation.
“The DG has demonstrated that he understands the importance of investing in sports that consistently bring honour to the nation. His support for scrabble has been encouraging, and we appreciate the attention he has given to our sport,” Idahosa averred.
The scrabble boss stressed that the sport also deserves a lot of backing from the private sector, corporate bodies and government due to its achievements on the international stage.
“Only scrabble and athletics have delivered senior world championship titles for Nigeria. That is a remarkable achievement and one that should not be overlooked.
“When a sport consistently produces world champions, it deserves sustained support. We believe corporate organisations and government agencies should partner more closely with scrabble because the potential for continued international success is enormous,” Idahosa affirmed.
He concluded by restating the federation’s commitment to working with the NSC for an expanded spread of the sport, discovery of new talents and ensuring that Nigeria remains a dominant force in world scrabble.
Sports247 gathered further that NSF’s top brass believe that, with increasing support from the NSC, Nigerian scrabble is poised for another era of international success.
