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Yenagoa played host this weekend to the country’s premier Scrabble showdown, and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri used the occasion to unveil a fresh push for the game — one that will see it introduced into secondary schools across the state.
The announcement came at the closing ceremony of the 6th Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Classic, held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall on Sunday night, where Diri lauded the Nigeria Scrabble Federation and the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association for keeping the tournament running year after year.
The governor, who took to the board himself in an exhibition match against Nigeria Scrabble Federation President Engineer Bright Idahosa, said the game brought back fond memories from his youth, when Scrabble helped sharpen his vocabulary and analytical thinking.
Diri noted that beyond producing national and international champions, Scrabble remains one of the most educational sports, encouraging strategic thinking, creativity and intellectual development among young people.
In a major boost for grassroots sports, the Bayelsa governor announced that he had directed the Commissioner for Sports Development and the Commissioner for Education to develop modalities for introducing a Scrabble tournament among secondary schools in the state.
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According to him, the initiative is aimed at exposing students to the educational and cognitive benefits of the game while nurturing future champions from an early age.
Governor Diri also commended the players, officials and visitors who travelled from across Nigeria and beyond to participate in the championship, thanking them for choosing Bayelsa as the host state.
He reiterated that his administration would continue to invest in Scrabble as a powerful tool for youth empowerment and human capital development.
Congratulating winners in the various categories, the governor assured the Nigeria Scrabble Federation that Bayelsa State would be delighted to host the seventh edition of the championship next year on an even bigger scale.
The Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Classic has continued to grow in stature, attracting some of Nigeria’s finest Scrabble players and reinforcing Bayelsa’s reputation as one of the country’s leading destinations for mind sports.
