…The victory, a reward for sports investment by Edo State – George Ezinore
- By Maxwell Kumoye in Benin City
Edo State’s George Ezinore has won the most glamorous and highly esteemed scrabble competition in Nigeria – the Asaph Zadok National Championship concluded on Sunday at the Florence Hotel and Suites Benin City, Edo State, South South, Nigeria.
Ezinore, Africa’s number two scrabble player push aside a strong field of wordsmith that include current African champions Oluwatimilehin Doko, former NSF Green Jacket holder Dipo Akanbi and 2023 Africa Games Side Event winner and multiple national champion, John Aiyedun to be crowned the Nigeria King of Scrabble for the next 12 months.
The Edo State wordsmith a member of Team Nigeria outings in the last three years topped the table with 20 wins and a draw and a cumulative of plus 922 points from 28 games ahead of River State’s Larry Etuwa with 19 victories.
Samuel Adebola representing the Gateway State – Ogun, came third with 18 wins the same number of win that young and talented Jamiu Kareem of Oyo State had.
However, Adebola finished on the podium due to his higher cumulative points of plus 1236 while Kareem had 525 points with 18 victories.
George Ezinore’s win is unique because of the way he ruled the roster of big word players in the competition, as sat on table 1 from game 13 till the end of the championship while Larry Etuwa, Samuel Adebola and Dipo Akanbi gave him a good run and strong chase.
After coming close to the top honour on several occasions, George Ezinore said he is a fulfilled player by winning the distinguished and eminent Asaph Zadok National Championship and will be wearing the upmarket, famous and celebrated prestigious NSF Green Jacket for the next one year as the King of Scrabble in Africa and world’s number one mind game destination – Nigeria.
Ezinore explained that the victory is for all scrabble players in Edo and specially for the Edo State Sports Commission that has been very supportive to the game.
“At the recently concluded Niger Delta Sports Festival, I narrowly missed the gold medal, so I had to fight hard to reach the zenith here on the home front. I feel elated and fulfilled as a player. This victory show that if you invest well in sport, it will surely produce good fruits and Edo scrabble players can celebrate this honour.”
He went on to thank the Edo State Sports Commission under the leadership of Honourable Desmond Enabulele for supporting Team Edo and putting the right structure and the enabling environment for scrabble and sports to flourish across the State.
George Ezinore will be decorated with the estimable NSF Green Jacket on Thursday during the Awards and Gala Night that closes the Scrabble Festival supported by Edo State Government through the Edo State Sports Commission.
In the team event at the Asaph Zadok National Championship, Ogun State topped the table, Team Lagos came second and FCT managed by John Curtis completes the medal bracket.
The chairman of Edo State Scrabble Association (ESSA), Mr Hanson Okhuoimose, was not just excited with George Ezinore success story but was equally happy with the positive roles the Edo State Sports Commission played in making the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Festival in Benin City a dream come through.
He had some pleasant words for the Executive Chairman, Honourable Enabulele for his steadfastness toward the growth of the sporting economy through the various laudable initiatives of the Edo State Sports Commission and his drive for private bodies partnerships.
“The Chairman and his board are steadily growing all the sports in the State and opening new opportunities for sportsmen and women to harness their potentials and make the State and Country proud. And George Ezinore’s win is an excellent example of investing right,” Mr Hanson Okhuoimose stated.
Meanwhile, the draw for the second event in the Nigeria Scrabble Federation Festival – the Inter Club finals holds today at the Florence Hotel and Suites Benin City.
Tournament Director, Kaleel Adedeji is expected to conduct the draw and will be assisted by Umar Faruq Baba-Inna a former NSF Technical Director.
The eight clubs that made it to the finals will be divided into two groups of four teams each with the top advancing to the semi-finals and then the final.