Date: 2020-12-21

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Kwara State chapter is poised to expand the horizon of the game to all nooks and crannies of the State as the 2nd Kwara Scrabble closed championship ends on Saturday, December 19th.

Speaking at the final event of the championship which held at the conference room of Kwara State Sports Council, Chairman of the association, Aliyu Olumayowa stated that the association will do more in raising the bar of the game and build a virile base for its development.

The Chairman, who said although the Covid-19 pandemic affected some of their intended programmes under the year in review revealed that the association will roll out some initiatives in the coming year- among which are inter-collegiate, clubs, and other several championships in a bid to stimulate huge participation.

"If not for Covid-19 pandemic, this year would have been flooded with Scrabble competitions, because myself and Coach had laudable plans for the game and that's why we decided to at least hold one before the year comes to an end". He stated.

Aliyu, an immigration officer further disclosed that the two days closed championship was organized to assess the strength of the existing players and discover new talents.

"Seven new players have been discovered and we are going to bring them on board – three of them were among those that got the prizes and we also discover two players among six females that participated,"he concluded.

In his own remarks, Director of Kwara State Sports Council, Alarape Atanda commended the association for organizing the tournament which he said will boost the morale of the players ahead of the National Sports Festival and other major tournaments.

Alarape urged the participants to concentrate more on the game with a view to improve their skills while assuring them of the sports council's support. He also stressed the need to incorporate more female scrabble players into the team regretting that the state couldn't present any female player for the upcoming sports festival.

The championship which last held in 2010 featured 22 players ;16 males and 6 females.

Shakirat Ahmed , who garnered the highest points to become the first in the female category was followed by an NTA reporter, Raliat Ibrahim, and Promise Adeniran who won the second and third positions respectively with cash prizes inclusive.

Nagode Abiola, Shaba Stephen, and Alli Kehinde had also respectively clinched the first to third positions in the male category with other 7 players towing behind them to make up the 10 prize-awarding gifts positions.

The well attended final event was witnessed by personalities from all parts of Kwara state and beyond. They include, Mallam Jimoh Bashir, Kwara SWAN Chairman, Bayour Issah, Sportspro News Publisher, Gbenga Popoola, General Manager, NTA Ilorin, Patience Lawal, Head of Coaching, Kwara State Sports Council, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Ajimati, the Coach of Kwara scrabble team and a host of others.