Former world scrabble champion, Wellington Jighere and Christopher Monday, were declared champions of the Premier and the Lite categories of the fourth Emmanuel Egbele Yearly Scrabble Tournament (EEAST) held at Eko Hotel, Lagos..
The two-day event created a spectacle for the mind game lovers and enthusiasts as over 100 players added spark to the convivial atmosphere of the prestigious venue after 18 rounds of games.
Jighere sealed victory in round 17 sustaining a healthy lead of four wins ahead of his closest rival, Umujose Emmanuel, in the Premier category. He finished with 17 wins and just a single defeat for an unassailable cumulative point of +1516 to take home the N400,000 prize money, a trophy and some pecks from sponsor, SINQ-SAA.
Tega Okiemute finish second with 12 wins and six defeats with 779 cumulative points, while current South West champion, Cyril Umebiye, placed third with 12 wins and six defeats, but with a lower cumulative point of 370.
All players in the top 13 level won various cash prizes. Speaking after the event, Jighere said: “This tournament is quite draining. It has been quite a while that I have been able to do something worthwhile. It means that I still have some little juice to battle these upcoming youngsters.”
“Was there anything special? I wouldn’t say there is anything special that is responsible for my victory in the EEAST. I have always been a gritty player and immediately I found myself in the lead I had to dig in and pull it through. Big tournaments like the EEAST is always good at honing the skills of the youngsters and you know they are many nowadays.”
In the Lite category, Christopher Monday regained his traction and was declared the champion with 14 wins and 980 cumulative point.Speaking at the end of the championship, Convener of the EEAST, Emmanuel Egbele, said: “The National Sports Festival, as you know is Nigeria’s own Olympics, so the EEAST as a competition or platform helps the players to prepare. Both Wellington Jighere and Christopher Monday will most likely be picked by their respective states. Also some of the players here will also use the platform to stake for a place at the Festival.”
