.
Interview Of Sherwin Rodrigues of India conducted by Javeria Mirza
Q. What is the current youth scrabble scenario in India?
Ans: Youth Scrabble has a long way to go in India. Scrabble is taught only in a few schools across India as an extra-curricular activity but it still has to pick up more momentum as there aren't many kids pursuing tournament Scrabble. We hope in the next 2 years, we will see many more youth playing as we intend to organize an annual Under 18 Scrabble Championship going forward.
Q. How was your latest experience at the Sri Lanka Open?
Ans: Playing in SL is always great. It was a strong field and it was great to see so many Sri Lankan and Pakistani Youth players. I was a tad disappointed to lose that last game, but it doesn't always go the way you want it to! Still, thoroughly enjoyed myself playing in SL!
Q. What progress in scrabble do you think India will have made in the next five years?
Ans: Scrabble in India isn't as big as we'd like it to be yet. We generally have about 5-6 National level tourneys throughout the year. The calendar year begins with the iGate International Scrabble Championship in January in Bangalore, which is the only International we have in India. We have about four 2-day national level tournaments throughout the year, these are held in Pune, Goa, Chennai & Hyderabad (Once in 2 years) and our National Scrabble Championship is held every year in Mumbai. This year in October, Delhi will be hosting a 2 day tournament for the first time too. There are about 60 regular tourney players and we have 2 divisions in our National Championship. We hope in the next 5 years, we will get many more people involved in playing Scrabble and we hope to double the no. of tournaments we currently have.
Q. Being a Masters in Business Management, do you think that scrabble has ever played a role in your professional life?
Ans: Yes, Scrabble has indeed taught me to take calculated risks in life. Also, it helps in thinking beyond just the obvious.
Q. You're already one of the best players in India, but what are your aspirations as far as scrabble is concerned?
Ans: Well, I aspire to be a World Champion someday, so going forward I intend to work harder, learn more words and play some good Tournament Scrabble to get there.