History was made in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday evening as two young Nigerian talents etched their names into the annals of word sports at the World Youth Scrabble Championships.
Team Nigeria captain, Abdulqudus Olawale Aliu, became the first Nigerian and African to win a silver medal at the prestigious global event. The 17-year-old prodigy finished second behind India’s Madhav Gopal Kamath after a gruelling contest.
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Aliu recorded 19 wins from 24 games with a cumulative score of 1,406 points, while Kamath emerged champion with 21 wins and a superior cumulative tally of +2,354.
Pakistan’s Aehzam Ahmed secured third place with 17 wins and 1,728 points.
It was double delight for Nigeria and Africa as Sophia Ebube Ekeruche made history by becoming the first African female to claim the Best Female award.
The Lagos-born talent, supported by the Chairman of Lagos State Scrabble and Monopoly Association (LSSAMA), Engineer Dipo Akanbi, produced a spirited display to finish 12th overall out of 218 participants from 16 countries.
Ekeruche, the reigning U-15 African Youth Scrabble Champion, secured 15 wins and 2 draws from 24 games with a cumulative score of 867 points.
Her remarkable consistency, five wins and a draw on each of the first two days, followed by five victories from seven matches on the final day, sealed her continental milestone.
Other Nigerian representatives included Prestige Archibong and Joy Eberechukwu Nwabuzor, who finished outside the medal spots. Meanwhile, Kenya’s best performer was Dalton Njenga, who placed 113th with 12 wins.
Nepal’s Nityanta Chaulagain endured a difficult outing, ending the competition without a win and a cumulative score of -4,341.
The performance of Aliu and Ekeruche not only placed Nigeria on the global Scrabble map but also underlined Africa’s growing influence in the sport.
