Nigeria will lay a strong claim for a second straight conquest of the African Scrabble Championship, as the country will be at this year’s competition in Monrovia, Liberia with the third largest contingent among all competing nations.
Sports247 gathered that Nigeria’s squad of 25 players, who will try to retain the title they won last year at the championship among English-speaking nations, is third behind Kenya’s 34 and 30 from Uganda.
This much was disclosed by National Sports Commission (NSC) director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade’s special assistant media, Kola Daniel, who stated that the players will be in to Liberia for the competition’s 16th edition with a charge to reaffirm the country’s status as Africa’s leading Scrabble nation.
Daniel added, “The championship will feature 134 players from 24 countries at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, setting the stage for a keenly contested battle for continental honours.
“Nigeria assembled a 25-player contingent for the tournament, drawing on the country’s wealth of Scrabble talent and experience. Kenya leads in numbers with 34 players, while Uganda follows with 30, reflecting growing competitiveness in the game across the continent.
“Nigeria has established a formidable reputation in African Scrabble, winning multiple team and individual titles over the years, and producing players who have excelled at both continental and global levels. That record places the defending champions among the favourites.
“As rival nations intensify their efforts to challenge Nigeria’s dominance, the 16th edition is expected to deliver stiff competition, with Kenya, Uganda and other participating countries eager to make their mark (with) improved preparation, wider participation and growing grassroots development across Africa.
“For Team Nigeria, the objective is clear: defend the title, sustain the country’s proud tradition and demonstrate once again the depth of Nigerian talent. The team will rely on its experience, competitive pedigree and collective strength as it takes on the continent’s best players.”
Sports247 gathered further that among Nigeria’s players set to feature in the competition from this Thursday up till Sunday are fast-rising Cyriel Umebiye and Abdulmumeen Jimoh, who dominated the recent ScrabbleMania warm-up competition with 26 wins in the same venue.
With Nigeria hsving won 14 out of 15 editions in this competition, all eyes will be on the current squad when they begin their campaign in Monrovia, where they arrive with a strong target to return home with the continental title still in their grip.
