In a thrilling display of wit and word mastery, Dr. Samuel Adebola, an Ogun State-based medical practitioner, emerged victorious at the fifth edition of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship held recently in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
The championship, which attracted over 200 top scrabble competitors from across Nigeria, saw Dr. Adebola clinch the coveted Masters category star prize of one million Naira and a prestigious giant trophy. With a commanding cumulative spread of +856, he outshone fierce rivals Abdulmumin Jimoh and Chuks Nwaeze, who finished second and third with spreads of +672 and +354, respectively.
Notable moments included Dr. Adebola’s adept use of high-scoring words such as ‘Volubly’, ‘Claviger’, and ‘Averment’, helping to secure his position at the top.
The tournament featured more than ten million Naira in cash prizes across five categories: Masters, Veterans, Intermediate, Opens, and Students. In the Veterans category, Dokun Esan achieved a remarkable spread of +1180. Edowor Bobor claimed the Intermediate prize with +710, while Dorcas Innocent triumphed in the Opens category with a +1046 spread. The Students category winner was Pereowei Edidie from Federal Government College, Odi, Bayelsa State, boasting an impressive +2060 spread.
At the event, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, represented by the Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Daniel Igali, reaffirmed continued government support for scrabble as a tool for intellectual growth and youth development. Nigeria Scrabble Federation President, Engineer Olobatoke Aka, lauded the state government’s five-year commitment to the championship, urged for increased sponsorship, and expressed optimism that the tournament would prepare Nigerian youth for forthcoming international championships in Kenya, Malaysia, and Ghana.
Chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, noted significant growth in the event, highlighted by larger prizes, greater funding, and global live-streaming, all of which have elevated both the championship and Bayelsa’s reputation in sports and human capacity development.
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Female participants also received special prizes, while two scrabble gold medallists from the recent National Sports Festival in Ogun State each received N200,000 from the association.
The Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship remains a leading platform for discovering and nurturing scrabble talent in Nigeria.
