Reigning continental champion, Oluwatimilehin Doko has been cited atop a list of seven Nigerian automatic qualifiers for the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship (ASC), scheduled to take place in Monrovia, Liberia, Sports247 reports.
Doko, who gains top spot by virtue of his status as the defending champion, is joined by his Nigerian compatriots, Cyril Umebiye (President’s Cup champion) as well as African U19 champ, Prestige Archibong and under-15 winner, Sophia Ekeruche.
The roster released by Pan-African Scrabble Association (PANASA) revealed that Nigeria has the largest number of automatic qualifiers, while Kenya has three; all of which the body’s president, Adekoyejo Adegbesan said was based on their Wild Card system.
A press release from the spokesperson of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Maxwell Kumoye disclosed further, “Wild Card slots are reserved for players who have won a PANASA-organised tournament, including regional championships.
“The association also clarified that the Wild Card allocations do not affect each country’s championship quota, with participating nations still entitled to select up to 15 domestic players and five diaspora players for the continental showpiece.
“Although the Wild Card recipients have earned direct qualification, PANASA stressed that all seven players must complete the official tournament registration within the stipulated qualification period, in line with championship regulations.
“The governing body of mind sport in Africa congratulated all the qualifiers and expressed confidence that the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship in Monrovia will deliver another memorable edition of the continent’s premier scrabble tournament.”
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