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Judging by the hype generated by the performance of the Nigerian team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lekki Scrabble Club president Samuel Anikoh believes the game would have won gold medals and appeased the sentiments of Nigerians had it been at the Summer Games.
88 athletes represented the country in 11 disciplines, but their efforts unfortunately equalled those of London 2012, when the team returned without a medal.
Interestingly, Nigeria has been recognised around the world as a leading Scrabble nation and became the first black nation to win the world championship in 2015.
Last month in the United States, the country also demonstrated its strong presence in the game of letters and numbers by winning the WORLD CUP thanks to Eta Karo.
Gold medals were also not in short supply at the 2023 African Games, where Team Nigeria recorded a feat when Adebisi Adekansi became the first woman to win two gold medals in scrabble.
Players, enthusiasts and other stakeholders have kept the game vibrant through retreats, meets, duels and championships at different levels including the upcoming edition of Lekki Scrabble Classics to be held in September next month.
Anikoh, who chairs the Lekki Scrabble Club, said there was a need for the government to drum up more support for the game even if the sport ends up being included as an Olympic sport.
“While it will be quite difficult to make bold statements, I believe we have what it takes and with the right level of support and preparation we would have an excellent chance of winning several medals at the Olympic Games if scrabble was one of the games on display.”
He highlighted that the game has experienced horizontal and vertical growth over the last decade.
“Scrabble in Nigeria has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. We have always had great players, such as the only African player to win the Scrabble World Championship in Wellington Jighere. The number of young players coming through makes me confident that we will see another Nigerian winner in the not too distant future.”
Two prodigious Nigerian talents, Enoch Nwali and Timilehin Doko, currently hold the titles of African Scrabble Champion and West African Scrabble Champion respectively.
“The recent successes of the Nigerian contingent at the Scrabble World Cup in Albuquerque, USA, further strengthens our reputation as a scrabble powerhouse, with Nigerian players winning in both divisions. While some players of the game are making significant effort, innovation and investment to further socialise and make the game more attractive, there is still a huge scope for improvement in the level of sponsorship that can be obtained from corporate organisations.”
While acknowledging the efforts of organisations such as Loense International Ltd, Boaz Integrated & Allied Services, Frontpage Couture, Midas Farms, Mindgames International and Elcrest E & P, to name a few, for their contributions so far, he called upon other corporate entities to invest in this valuable game that has significant benefits in enhancing language skills, improving critical thinking and promoting social bonding.
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