The quintet of Nsikak Etim, Osikhena Ojior, Oshevire Avwengha, Oghomaria Umukoro and captain Moses Peter, of Tekena Drones, have taken an early lead on Match Day 1 and 2 of the elite division of the 2023 MGI League which began in Abuja at the weekend.
Parading Nigeria’s current number one player, Nsikak Etim and Team Nigeria’s captain to the last African Scrabble Championship in Lusaka, Zambia, Oshevire Avwengha in it ranks, Tekena Drones are ahead of Supreme, Bulldozers, Hurricanes, Word Crafts and Phoenix in the six team premier league.
Etim recorded 7 wins and a plus 470 cumulative points during the ten rounds of games on Match Day 1 on Saturday to finish third and on Sunday he came fourth with 7 wins and a cumulative of plus 413 points in the individual table.
Osikhena Ojior, Oshevire Avwengha and captain Moses Peter all has 6 wins each. Ojior had a plus 268 cumulative while Avwengha secured 253 cumulative points and Moses Peter had minus 201 on Match Day 1, while on Match Day 2 Moses Peter picked up 8 wins and a minus 31 cumulative points.
Osikhena Ojior and Oshevire Avwengha both won only four out of ten games on Match Day 2.
The weakest link, but had a fair outing in the Drones’ colours on Match Day 1 was Oghomaria Umukoro with 5 wins from 10 games and a plus 340 cumulative points and 3 wins on Match Day 2.
Tekena Drones 13 wins, 7 loses, 56 points won, 24 points lost and spread of 842 points keeps them ahead of the chasing pack led by Supreme and Bulldozers.
Supreme’s team of Hakeem Olaribigbe, Squiz Ewarah, Oyebola Alli Samuel Adebola and John Aiyedun are occupying the second spot on the log with 13 wins, 7 loses, 54 points won, 26 points lost and a spread of 535.
Olaribigbe in the individual result, won 7 games out of 10 with a cumulative of plus 201 to stay in the fourth position behind Etim, Ewarah was 6th, Alli 10th, Adebola 17th and Aiyedun bring up the rear at 18th for Supreme on Day 1.
On Day 2, this is how players of Supreme fared, Samuel Adebola 8th, Oyebola Alli 13th, Squiz Ewarah 15th, John Aiyedun 21st and Hakeem Olaribigbe 22nd.
Two time African Champion and head coach of the Delta State Scrabble Association (DSSA), who is Las Vegas bound for the WESPA Championship, Dennis Ikekeregor, is the arrow head of Bulldozers that is third on the table after the opening day games.
James Ewruje, Sunday Oshodi, Femi Awowade and Jacob Ryan are the other Bulldozers that were in Abuja for Match Day 1 of the elite division of the 2023 MGI League.
With 12 wins, 58 points won and a spread of 1045 points stands on the third floor of the MGI elite table ahead Hurricanes, Word Crafts and Phoenix that failed to shine at home with 7 wins just like Word Crafts are first from the bottom.
Dennis Ikekeregor, finished second on the individual table with 8 wins and a plus 261 cumulative points, James Ewruje was 9th, Oshodi 21st, 23rd spot was Femi Awowade with 4 wins and Jacob Ryan 25th with just 3 wins and a minus 322 cumulative points on the first day.
James Ewruje dropped to 12th from 9th while Jacob Ryan moved from 25th to 15 with 5