Nsikak Etim Solomon added to the medal haul of team Rivers today at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Edo State after winning a gold in scrabble.

Nsikak Etim Solomon defeated favourite and first African to be crowned World scrabble champion Jighere Wellington to the top podium prize in the Masters singles event.

Wellington who is representing team Delta settled for Silver, while George Ezinore of Edo State won bronze.

In the female singles, team Delta’s Tuoyo Mayuku won the gold, while Sule Success and Bukunmi Afolayan of Edo and Ogun State in that order won Silver and bronze.

Delta also dominated the open singles category with Godsfavour Whiskey beating Sunday Ituah (Lagos) and Itiemo Brigeni (Bayelsa) to the Gold medal.

Events continue at the multi sports festival after the Edo State government and the Federal ministry of sports reached an agreement to continue with the event.

There were initial plans to bring the festival to an end by the Local organizing committe after the federal government was not forthcoming with the funds it promised to support the event.

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Kwara State chapter is poised to expand the horizon of the game to all nooks and crannies of the State as the 2nd Kwara Scrabble closed champioship ends on Saturday, December 19th.

Speaking at the final event of the championship which held at the conference room of Kwara State Sports Council, Chairman of the association, Aliyu Olumayowa stated that the association will do more in raising the bar of the game and build a virile base for it’s development.

The Chairman, who said although Covid-19 pandemic affected some of their intended programmes under the year in review revealed that the association will roll out some initiatives in the coming year- among which are inter-collegiate, clubs and other several championships in a bid to stimulate huge participation .

“If not for Covid-19 pandemic,this year would have been flooded with Scrabble competitions, because myself and Coach had laudable plans for the game and that’s why we decided to at least  hold one before the year comes to an end”. He stated.

Aliyu, an immigration officer further disclosed that the two days closed champioship was organised to assess the strength of the existing players and discover new talents .

“Seven new players have been discovered and we are going to bring them on board – three of them were among  those that got the prizes and we also discover two players among six females that participated.”he concluded.

In his own remarks, Director of Kwara State Sports Council, Alarape Atanda commended the association for organizing the tournament which he said will boost the morale of the players ahead of the National Sports festival and other major tournaments.

Alarape urged the participants to concentrate more on the game with a view to improve their skills  while assuring them of the sports council support.

He also stressed the need to incorporate more female scrabble players in to the team regretting that the state couldn’t present any female player for the upcoming sports festival.

The champioship which last held in 2010 featured 22 players ;16 males and 6 females.
Shakirat Ahmed , who garnered the highest points to become the first in the  female category was  followed by an NTA reporter, Raliat Ibrahim and Promise Adeniran who won the second and third positions respectively with cash prizes inclusive.

Nagode Abiola, Shaba Stephen and Alli Kehinde had also respectively clinched the first to third positions in the male category with other 7 players towing behind them to make up the 10 prize awarding gifts positions.

The well attended final event was witnessed by personalities from all parts of Kwara state and beyond. They include, Mallam Jimoh Bashir, Kwara SWAN Chairman, Bayour Issah, Sportspro News Publisher, Gbenga Popoola, General Manager, NTA Ilorin , Patience Lawal, Head of Coaching, Kwara State Sports Council, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Ajimati, the Coach of Kwara scrabble team and a host of others.