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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The curtain has been drawn on the third edition of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship with Ebonyi State born Enoch Nwali emerging the new champion of the Masters category.
Nwali recorded 12 wins at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall Yenagoa with a plus 705 cumulative spread to be crowned champion, win the trophy and N500, 000 star prize and the winner’s trophy. Last year champion, Nsikak Etim came second with 11 wins and a plus 724 cumulative while Emmanuel finished third on 11 wins plus 343 cumulative. Also, former champion, Wellington Jighere could only manage 9 wins plus 580 cumulative spread.
Nwali’s victory means that three champions have emerged in the last three years of the showpiece, Oshevire Avwenagha 2021, Nsikak Etim 2022 and Enoch Nwali the latest winner, an evidence of the competitive nature of the tournament.
In the veteran’s category, Ojior Osikhena dethroned Jacob Jonah while Clement Ijegbulem won the open category at the expense of Burogha Douglas from Bayelsa State who was the reigning champion.
Governor Douye Diri who declared the championship close restated calls for oil companies operating in the state and corporate bodies to invest in Sports Development.
Senator Diri who was represented by the deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, reiterated his administration’s commitment in using sports as an avenue to combat crime and criminality as well as developing the skills and talent of the youths.
He stressed that sports was a veritable tool to positively channel the energies of the youths, thereby drastically reducing the rate of crime, social vices and other forms of violence.
His words: “I am disturbed by what the multinationals and international oil companies do in our state. By not investing in sports, they are either deliberately or inadvertently encouraging our youths to take to crime and criminality.
“I say this because whatever they spend to maintain the military and other security agencies to protect their infrastructure is still more expensive than what they will put into sports and our youths will stop disturbing them.
President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Chief Olubake Aka, in a remark, commended the Bayelsa State government for continuously hosting the spectacle in the state describing Bayelsa as one of the leading states in sports in Nigeria.
He urged all the scrabble stars in Nigeria that would be representing the nation in the coming days to be focused, pointing out that the Governor Diri Scrabble National Championship has come to stay.
Also, chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble National Association, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, noted that the championship underscored the attention accorded to sports in the last three years of the Douye Diri administration, stating that the competition has become a launchpad to discover scrabble super stars in Nigeria.
Mr. Alabrah pointed out that the success of the championship was incomplete without the governor’s undiminished love towards sports development, describing scrabble as a game that re-oriented the minds.
