The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), revised calendar of activities for 2023 season has been made public.
The Technical Director of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), John Curtis, made the new programme and calendar of activities public on Tuesday.
Curtis explained that clubs and players’ registration as well as state affiliation fees, which started this month, would end on May 31.
The first major event in the 2023 calendar is the third edition of the Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament in Lagos. The defending Champion, Enoch Tochukwu Nwali will start the defense of the Diadem he won last year on the second of June.
From Lagos, the scrabble train will move to Abuja for the NSF President Golden Jubilee Championship from June 15 to 17. After the Jubilee Championship, scrabble players will congregate in Benin City, Edo State for Match Day 3 of the MGI League Series on June 24.
The State Qualifiers for the new look NSF Inter Club Challenge Championship will also start on June 24 across the federation. Warri Scrabble Club (WSC) is the defending Champion.
All eyes will be on current NSF national and Africa number one player, Nsikak Solomon Etim when the first round of games are called in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as the third edition of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship gets under way on July 1.
The Technical Director of NSF, John Curtis, explained that the tournaments and Championships have been carefully planned and positioned to help members of Team Nigeria heading to the World Championship shape up for the big battle that awaits them from June 22 to 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The Super Special August scrabble activities will begin in the Rock City of Abeokuta with the South West Closed Championship, followed by Egbin Closed and then, the two-in-one PANASA President’s Cup as well as PANASA African Youth Scrabble Championship holding simultaneously in Lekki and Idimu all in Lagos from 24 to 28.
Lekki Scrabble Classic will close the month of September and start the month of October. The South South Open National Championship and the Abuja National Open Championship have been scheduled to take place in September too.
The month of October will be wearing the colours of MGI as the curtain falls on three of its events, MGI Premier League Finale, the Parton’s Cup and the MGI Grand Slam. The Premier League finale and the Parton’s Cup comes up on October 6 and 7 while the Grand Slam has been fixed for October 14 and 15, all in Lagos.
The South East Closed Championship will close the scrabble activities for the month of October. Owerri will host the South East jamming session from 21 to 22.
Just like August, November is also another loaded month, as State Qualifiers for the Inter Club Scrabble Challenge will be rounded off. Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classic (JAMSC) and second edition of the West African Scrabble Championship are the competitions line-up for November.
The NSF Inter Club Zonal play-off is expected to be decided in December after the Champion of Champions tournament in Benin City put together by Words and Wits Incorporated. Olatunde Oduwole won the last edition.
The 2022 NSF season ended in a spectacular fashion in March 2023 with the Scrabble Festival in Abuja, which is a four-in-one event. Asaph Zadok National Championship, NSF Inter Club Championship grand finale, Annual General Meeting (AGM), Awards and Gala Night.
