By Chinedu ‘Sidespin’ Thorpe
It is no longer news that Canadian Professor of Mathematics Adam Logan beat New Zealand Security Consultant Nigel Richards in a Best-of-7 Final to clinch the *World Scrabble Championship*; and it is no longer news that the *Green Locusts of Nigeria* trumped the United States of America to reclaim the *Best Country Title* they lost to the same USA in Las Vegas in 2023.
What is news is the *modus operandi for the reclamation of the title* and the *Chief Dramatis Personae* who architected the feat.
Before we go into the Days 4 and 5 Summaries, let us run through the Days 1 to 3 ones.
*Summary of Day 1 Nigerian Performance*
*1.*
Out of the total participantship of *129 players in the Main Event*, Nigeria had a total of *20 players* 15 of whom were the original qualifiers from Nigeria and 5 of whom joined the Main Event via emerging successfully from the *Last Chance Qualifier* held at the venue the day before the Main Event commenced.
*2.*
The *Top 20* after *Day 1* were composed of:
*6 Nigerians*
*2 Singaporeans*
*2 Ghanaians*
*2 South Africans*
*2 Brits*
*1 Canadian*
*1 Thai*
*1 Liberian*
*1 New Zealander*
*1 American*
*1 Gambian*
*3.*
The 6 Nigerians in the Top 20, the states they represented, their Win/Loss Margins, and Positions were:
*Timi Woko (Bayelsa State) 7-0 (1st)*
*George Ezinore (Delta State) 6-1 (4th)*
*Victor Godwin (Delta State) 6-1 (8th)*
*Rex Ogbakpa (Delta State) 5-2 (10th)*
*Timi Doko (Ogun State) 5-2 (11th)*
*Chinedu Thorpe (Anambra State) 5-2 (16th)*
*Summary of Day 2 Nigerian Performance*
*1.*
That day was fire. The rest of the world asked Nigeria’s Green Locusts questions they could scarcely answer notwithstanding which they were still able to hang on to the *Best Team Position* despite three of them being kicked out of the Top 20.
After Day 1 *(the first 7 rounds)*, the *No.1 Country Position* was held by *Ghana* while the *No.2 Position* was held by Nigeria. After Day 2 *(the next 9 rounds)*, the *No.1 Country Position* was taken over by *Nigeria* while *Ghana* fell to *No.2 Position*.
*2.*
The *Top 20* after *Day 2* were composed of:
*3 Nigerians*
*3 Singaporeans*
*2 Kenyans*
*2 Brits*
*1 Canadian*
*1 Pakistani*
*1 New Zealander*
*1 American (a Nigerian)*
*1 Thai*
*1 Ghanaian*
*1 Sri Lankan*
*1 Irishman (a Nigerian)*
*1 Northern Irishman*
*1 Liberian*
*3.*
The 3 Nigerians in the Top 20 were:
*Timi Woko (Bayelsa State) 13-3 (1st)*
*Victor Godwin (Delta State) 11-5 (9th)*
*Timi Doko (Ogun State) 10-6 (16th)*
For the record, the two other Nigerians in the Top 20 and the countries they represented were:
*Samson Okosagah (United States) 11-5 (8th)*
*Lukeman Owolabi (Ireland) 10-6 (17th)*
Also for the record, *four Nigerians* lurked in *22nd*, *24th*, *25th*, and *26th* positions, waiting to break into the Top 20 on Day 3.
Nigeria and Africa’s Top Female Player *Tuoyo Mayuku of Delta State* was in *31st* position, waiting to pounce on those ahead of her.
*Summary of Day 3 Nigerian Performance*
*1.*
Mixed fortunes as a fourth Nigerian made it back into the Top 20 but Timi Woko was dislodged from pole position down to 3rd. The battles had got more intense as the smell of money increased with proximity to the *Top 16*. Because that was an elite field, even the lower tables were filled with deadly adversaries.
*2.*
There were *two* major titles at stake: the *World Scrabble Champion* title and the *Best Country* one.
The World Scrabble Champion was going to be the individual that placed first at the end of five days of hostilities; the Best Country was going to be that whose total number of players performed best on average *relative to other countries’ averages*.
In 2015 in Perth, Australia, Nigeria’s *Wellington Jighere of Delta State* became World Scrabble Champion and Nigeria won the Best Country title.
In 2023 in Las Vegas, USA, the *United States* edged Nigeria into second place and took the Best Country title while *David Eldar of Australia* became World Champion.
*3.*
Day 4 was going to see reignited free-for-alls as the various world, continental, and national champions in that field not only battled for the title of World Scrabble Champion but jostled to topple multiple World Scrabble Champion *Nigel Richards of New Zealand* from his *close-to-20-year-old pedestal* as *World Scrabble #1*.
*4.*
The *Top 20* after *Day 3* were composed of:
*5 Brits (4 Englishmen/1 Scotsman)*
*4 Nigerians*
*2 Canadians*
*2 Singaporeans*
*1 Pakistani*
*1 New Zealander*
*1 Ghanaian*
*1 Thai*
*1 Sierra Leonean*
*1 Irishman (a Nigerian)*
*1 American (a Nigerian)*
*5.*
The 4 Nigerians in the Top 20 were:
*Timi Woko (Bayelsa State) 17-7 (3rd)*
*Victor Godwin (Delta State) 16-8 (8th)*
*Rex Ogbakpa (Delta State) 15-9 (11th)*
*Timi Doko (Ogun State) 15-9 (14th)*
For the record once again, the two other Nigerians in the Top 20 and the countries they represented were:
*Lukeman Owolabi (Ireland) 15-9 (17th)*
*Rasheed Balogun (United States) 15-9 (18th)*
*Summary of Day 4 Nigerian Performance*
*1.*
By this time the wheat had been separated from the chaff and this writer had been firmly ensconced among the chaff!
After his Day 1’s heroics, a litany of decisional errors put paid to his dreams.
*But because the Best Country Title was up for grabs, he had little choice but to fight on, for each victory he secured against another country’s player meant a setback for that country and an advancement for his.*
*2.*
The *Top 20* after *Day 4* were composed of:
*5 Nigerians*
*2 Singaporeans*
*2 Brits*
*1 Canadian*
*1 New Zealander*
*1 Pakistani*
*1 Irishman (a Nigerian)*
*1 Sierra Leonean*
*1 Ghanaian (a half Nigerian)*
*1 American (a Nigerian)*
*1 Thai*
*1 Australian*
*1 Sri Lankan*
*1 Kenyan*
*3.*
The 5 Nigerians in the *Final Top 20* were:
*Timi Doko (Ogun State) 21-11 (5th)*
*Tega Okiemute (Delta State) 20-12 (6th)*
*Abdulmumin Jimoh (Ogun State) 20-12 (7th)*
*Victor Godwin (Delta State) 20-12 (12th)*
*Rex Ogbakpa (Delta State) 19-13 (18th)*
For the record, the two other Nigerians and the half Nigerian in the Top 20 and the countries they represented were:
*Lukeman Owolabi (Ireland) 20-12 (8th)*
*Stanley Ubiedi (Ghana) 20-12 (13th)*
*Samson Okosagah (United States) 20-12 (14th)*
*4.*
The Top 2 finishers in the Main Event were *Adam Logan of Canada 26-5-1 (1st)* and *Nigel Richards of New Zealand 22-10 (2nd)*.
They were to go into a *Best-of-7 Final* on *Day 5*.
As it happened, Adam bested Nigel *4-2* and there was no need to go to the 7th game.
*5.*
Regarding the Side Events that were held around the Main Event, the following is a rundown of the Nigerian performance in them:
*AKWABAA EARLY BIRD*
*Femi Simpson – 8th*
*Igho Fregene – 10th*
*Jack Mpakaboari – 11th*
*LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER*
*Timi Woko – 1st*
*Osikhena Ojior – 2nd*
*Nsikan Iyanam – 4th*
*Dipo Akanbi – 8th*
*Hakeem Olaribigbe – 10th*
*Joy Ola – 13th*
*Oloro Opeyemi – 16th*
*Emeka Mbagwu – 21st*
*Sunday Oshodi – 22nd*
*Igho Fregene – 27th*
*Jack Mpakaboari – 31st*
*SIKA GOLD CHALLENGE*
*Cyril Umebiye – 1st*
*Anthony Ikolo – 2nd*
*Priscilla Akhabue – 3rd*
*Oloro Opeyemi – 4th*
*David Idris – 5th*
*David Ojih – 6th*
*Dokun Esan – 7th*
*Samuel Anikoh – 10th*
*Olumide Oyejide – 13th*
*Lateef Musa – 18th*
*Bimbo Okusanya – 19th*
*Francis Kumasi – 21st*
*Joy Ola – 25th*
*Sunday Oshodi – 26th*
*Jack Mpakaboari – 28th*
*Emeka Mbagwu – 30th*
*Passfine Chinkere – 31st*
*Osaghaede Omijeh – 33rd*
*SANKOFA CHALLENGE*
*David Ojih – 1st*
*Cyril Umebiye – 3rd*
*Godsfavour Whiskey – 5th*
*David Idris – 7th*
*Passfine Chinkere – 8th*
*Gbenga Ojofeitimi – 15th*
*Emeka Mbagwu – 21st*
*Tayo Osibote – 27th*
*Grace Jompe – 32nd*
*ADINKRA CHALLENGE*
*Chinedu Thorpe – 2nd*
*Joy Ola – 5th*
*Sam Adebola – 9th*
*John Curtis – 11th*
*Igho Fregene – 23rd*
*Osikhena Ojior – 26th*
