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WESPA NEWS PAGE


Welcome to the WESPA 2019 Archive

DECEMBER 2019


Tournament and Ratings News

  • Addition to the Calendar - Jan 2020 Nairobi National Championship (KEN)

  • View the full list here.

WESPA HEADLINES


WESPA Rules V4 come into effect on 1/1/20. You can view the rules here.

NOVEMBER 2019


Tournament and Ratings News

  • Addition to the Calendar - April 2020 3rd Romanian Open (ROM)
  • Addition to the Calendar - November 2019 NSC (SWE)
  • Addition to the Calendar - December 2019 Scrabble on the Nile (UGA)
  • Amendment to the Calendar - November 2019 Causeway Challenge is no longer proceeding

  • View the full list here.

WESPA HEADLINES


Ratings have been uploaded to the WESPA website up to Wexford, Ireland.
The 2018 WYC Champion, Syed Imaad Ali (Pakistan) succeeded at Torquay to become this year's Junior World Champion.
Nigel Richards won the World Scrabble Championship for the fifth time, defeating David Eldar in the final.
Janul de Silva managed a threepeat of Runners-up titles at the WESPA Youth Cup. Tarin Pairor, from Thailand, was victorious.
Our congratulations go to all players.

OCTOBER 2019


Tournament and Ratings News

  • Addition to the Calendar - August 2020 NASC (USA)
  • Addition to the Calendar - January 2020 Manhattan (USA)
  • Addition to the Calendar - November 2019 ACT Championship (AUS)
  • Addition to the Calendar - November 2019 Wexford (IRE)
  • Addition to the Calendar - January 2020 Australia Day Weekend Open (AUS)
  • Addition to the Calendar - January 2020 CSIM (AUS)
  • Addition to the Calendar - September 2020 AM/STC (AUS)

  • View the full list here.

WESPA HEADLINES


Congratulations to Nigel Richards for winning his first WESPA Championship, at his third attempt.

SEPTEMBER 2019


Tournament and Ratings News

  • The MPC Grand Finale has been moved forward to avoid a clash with the Mattel World Scrabble Championship
  • Addition to the Calendar - January 2020 Mu Sigma International Scrabble Tournament (India)
  • Addition to the Calendar - September 2019 The Irish Open (Ireland)
  • Addition to the Calendar - October 2019 NSC and NSC Last Chance Qualifier (UK)
  • Addition to the Calendar - April 2020 Australian Scrabble Championship
  • Addition to the Calendar - September 2019 Grandeur 8 Mini (Singapore)
  • Addition to the Calendar - September 2020 Continental Scrabble Championship
  • Addition to the Calendar - Aug/Sep 20 Niagara Falls Open Main Event and Late Bird (Canada)
  • Ratings updated to the Continental Scrabble Championship

  • View the full list here.

WESPA HEADLINES


Nominations for Executive Committee positions (including the Officer positions of Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary) are required to be in by September 18, 2019 and will be elected at WESPAC in Goa. Associations must send their nominations to the WESPA Secretary, Cheah Siu Hean. Current nominations for ordinary Committee positions received are as follows:

  • Tony Leah (Canada)
  • Puneet Sharma (USA)
  • Peter Thorpe (UK)
  • Brett Smitheram (UK)
  • Waseem Khatri (Pakistan)
  • Tariq Pervez (Pakistan)
  • Carol Johnsen (Australia)
  • Karen Richards (Australia)
  • Toke Aka (Nigeria)
  • Evan Cohen (Israel)
  • Douglas Tsang (Hong Kong)
Even with current nominations (and not including any further existing Committee Members renominating), there will be a requirement for elections to be held for these positions. This will be a first for a WESPA BGM.

Blazers emerge champions at the Inaugural MGI Scrabble Premier League 2019


After months of hostilities in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, Blazers Scrabble Team have won the maiden MGI Scrabble Premier League, which ended at the LilyGate Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

Major stakeholders in scrabble graced the final of the event, which was rounded off with an award ceremony and gala night.

The Scrabble Premier League, according to the organisers, was put together to create more awareness of the sport in the country, as well as discover more talents in the game. It featured top scrabble players, including students of tertiary institutions.

Team Blazers Captain, Oshevire Avwenagha said his side’s victory was due to hard work and continuous while acknowledging that they had a tough time overcoming the opposition.

“It was not easy for Team Blazers because we had top scrabble players in other teams. But we gave our best against all odds to emerge champions.

“The club belongs to me, but I assembled the best brains in my squad.

“From the moment the league started, our vision was to beat other teams and at the end of the day we succeeded.

“We thank the organisers for creating a forum for Nigerian scrabble players to play in a league format. This league will prepare some of us going to India for the world championship,” he said.

Earlier, MGI Scrabble League organiser and brain behind the league, Lukeman Owolabi explained that he put the league together to create an enabling environment for scrabble to strive in Nigeria.

He noted that the country, which is still ranked the best scrabble nation in the world, needed to set a standard for other countries to emulate.

“In the beginning, I thought putting something like this together would not attract people. “

But with determination and my desire to ensure scrabble grew in the country, I gave it a try. I thank God it was not in vain as all scrabble players in Nigeria turned out in various clubs to take part.

“My key objective is to establish an African society where illiteracy, drug abuse, cultism, and other social vices will not thrive through the intellectual involvement of youths in a mind sport like scrabble.

“By next year, more teams will join the league and then it will have the top and low divisions.

“We need more sponsors to key into the sport because it has great potential to yield resources like football. We are also engaging students by training them in scrabble,” he declared.

The chairman of the event, former Minister for industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, who was represented at the gala night, congratulated the organisers for engaging the players in a competitive game.

At the league, Team Brainiacs placed second and earned N500, 000, while Team Airpopper won the third position and N300, 000.

Eta Paul Karo of Team Brainiacs was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the championship (MVP) award, which fetched him N100, 000.

Members of Team Blazers are Cyril Umebiye, Oshevire Avwenagha, George Ezinore, Tega Okiemute, Sylvanus Ikpere, Larry Etuwa and Florence Akhiri.

12 teams participated in the MGI Scrabble League. They are Blazers, Brainiacs, Airpopper, Bulldozers, FRSC Roadies, Gracious Pickers, Hurricanes, Lekki Bombers, Olowoyeye Predators, Phoenix, Supreme and Tekena Drones.

Provided by Lukeman Owolabi

AUGUST 2019

TOURNAMENTS ADDED TO THE CALENDAR THIS MONTH

  • Oct 2019 - USA - Saturday Scrabble, Kenner LA
  • Nov 2019 - IDN - Lampung International Scrabble Competition (LISTION) 2019
  • Feb 2020 - USA - Pacific Open, Las Vegas NV

  • View the full list here.

WESPA HEADLINES

  • The agenda for the BGM to be held in Goa has been distributed to Member Associations. You can view the agenda here.
  • Lewis Mackay has stepped down from the WESPA Executive Committee and has been replaced by Peter Thorpe



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