Top Scrabble players from United States, United Kingdom, The Gambia, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and host, Nigeria, are taking part at the maiden Mindgames Incorporated Scrabble Grand Slam. The event began yesterday, October 14, at the Golfview Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, and will end tomorrow.

According to organisers of the event, the Grand Slam, is a fresh experience in organised scrabble tournaments aimed at raising the profile of the game in Nigeria and at the international level.

A total of 28 players are participating in 24 round of games. Nigeria-based players, who are taking part in the 2022 MGI Grand Slam, qualified for the event through this season performance in MGI tournaments and Nigeria Scrabble Federation championships.

The first African to win the World Scrabble Championship for Nigeria, Wellington Jighere, has been tipped as one of the favourites to win the 2022 Grand Slam, having emerged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the just concluded Mindgames Scrabble Premier League where his club, Lekki Bombers, missed the title narrowly.

He was also crowned The King in the ‘Scrabble In the Jungle championship’ this year before adding another title at the National Opens in Abuja, where he also emerged as the torch bearer for the National team to the 2022 African Scrabble Championship.

Other Nigerian players to feature in the Scrabble Grand Slam are champion of Champions winner, Olatunde Oduwole, former World No. 4. Enoch Nwali, who won the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament (EEAST) this year, former African champion Saheed Jomoh, Dennis Ikekeregor, Eta Karo and Emmanuel Umujose.

Convener of the MGI Grand Slam, Lukeman Owolabi, said the event was created to also give a unique elite-touch to the game and raise the profile of scrabble by setting more standards through the MGI organised tournament.

Owolabi added that the Grand Slam would serve as a testing ground for players, who will represent their countries at the fast-approaching African Scrabble Championship. (The Guardian)