The new entrance into club scrabble in Nigeria, Gateway SC of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, South West, Nigeria has been crowned champions of the most celebrated and prestigious club competition – the NSF Inter Club Challenge.
Under the captaincy of experienced Masters player, Cyril Umebiye, Gateway SC with the finest group of very youthful and talented scrabble gems took the surprised package of the Inter Club finals, Yenagoa SC to the cleaners 4-1 with a cumulative points of plus 1204.
Notching 20 wins from 25 games. Current Continental Champions, Oluwatimilehin Doko, recorded a very impressive stats of 5 wins and a plus 618 cumulative points while Abdulmumin Jimoh a member of Team Nigeria to the 13th Africa Games and the African Scrabble Championship garnered 5 wins and 591 points as his cumulative.
The youngest member of Gateway SC David Ojih and Hakeem Ogundokun dropped one game each. Ojih finished with a cumulative points of plus 177, 116 more than Ogundokun. Captain Cyril Umebiye lost 3 out of 5 games and a minus 243 points.
Bright Ohaka, Doubra Enai, Precious Igali, Vincent Munanyo and Ezekiel Eniekebi of Yenagoa SC all managed one win each with Ezekiel Eniekebi having the highest cumulative points deficit of minus 350, 4 more than Vincent Munanyo on minus 336 points.
Gateway took the first 2 matches with identical scores of 4-1, lost match number 3, 3-2 and went on to secure the title in match number 4 with an emphatic 5-0 win, the same scenario repeated its self again in the final match.
Captain of Gateway SC, Cyril Umebiye said that their victory in the championship is down to an excellent team management and a near perfect wealth package put in place by proprietor and chairman of the Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State based club.
“The chairman, Adekoyejo Adegbesan, ensure that financially the team is well taking care of, feeding, accommodation, travels and other needed logistics are provided for so that we can focus on our main mission of playing the game we love and cherish,” Cyril Umebiye said.
Core members of Gateway SC are in their 20s and Umebiye says, The sky is not their limit as they hope to engrave their names and that of the club in scrabble history and the scrabble Hall of Fame.”
Host club, Benin City SC finished third at the expense of Central Scrabble Club A of Abuja Captained by Francis Molokwu.
It’s interesting to note that a key member of the club, current African and West African ‘King’ Oluwatimilehin Doko, played a positive role in helping Team Ogun win the team diadem at the Asaph Zadok National Championship which started the week long Scrabble Festival proudly supported by Edo State Sports Commission.
Head coach of the national team, Sir Anthony Ikolo speaking at the end of the competition stated that Young David Ojih of Gateway SC and David Yuwa of Central Scrabble Club A are the toast of the Inter Club finals.
This is the top 3 standing at the end of the NSF Festival:
George Ezinore was decorated with the NSF Green Jacket as winner Asaph Zadok National Championship by the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission Honourable Desmond Enabulele, who was represented by chairman of chairmen of the Edo Sports Associations, Barrister Walter Imoedemhe.
Honourable Desmond Enabulele, was happy with the competition and promised to continue to support the Federation and the State Scrabble Association.
The Chairman rewarded George Ezinore winner of the NSF Green Jacket with the sum of N100,000.