Following the successful outing by Team Nigeria at the just concluded World English Language Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) in Goa, India last week, the convener of Nigeria Scrabble Friends, Segun Durojaye has called on sports authorities to give the sports the attention it truly deserves.
145 players and 30 countries featured in the four day Championship where Nigeria, represented by 11 players and officials retained the WESPAC Country Trophy after achieving the feat in 2015 and 2017.
Durojaye, who was a former top-ranked player in the world revealed some of the challenges and sacrifices players went through to successfully put the name of the country firmly on the world map as the best playing scrabble nation on earth.
The most recent case, according to him, happened when the team was about to secure visa for a 23-year old debutant, Enoch Iwali.
Iwali who finished as the country’s highest ranked player at the WESPAC almost missed the trip to India when his visa fee of 92,000 naira was difficult to raise due to funding.
‘’Enoch Nwali who came fifth overall at the WESPAC left Secondary School in 2014, almost didn’t go to the Championship because of 92,000 naira visa fee. It was while they were at the Indian Embassy that calls were made to anyone who could save the situation. Eventually, we in the scrabble family had to rally round and raise the money for the visa to be secured.’’he said.
He praised players who are both based in the country and abroad as well as some Asian friends for stepping in to save the sports at critical times.
He however commended the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Sulaiman Gora for making travel arrangements for the team with his personal funds pending when the sports ministry would refund.
The four-day event also saw two Nigerians in fifth and 10th positions in the over all individual ranking at the championship, just as the other Nigerian players were ranked among the top 30 spot.
