World scrabble champion - Ikekeregor Dennis

[Richard Akindele]

Nigerian Sports Minister Bala Ka'oje on Wednesday urged reigning African Scrabble Champion Nigeria's Ikekeregor Dennis to win the world championship for the country next year.

"Your performance at the African championship was expected based on your track record and I am optimistic that you will make Nigeria proud in the world championship," he said.

Ka'oje said while receiving trophies won by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) at the just concluded African Scrabble Championship in Abuja that Nigerians were not surprised at the feat.

He said the country's victory at the championship was a pointer to the federation's seriousness and determination to use sports in laundering the country's image.

Ka'oje commended the players who brought the laurels, saying that they made Nigeria proud in spite of the "little support" received from the Sports Ministry.

Nigeria carted away trophies for the first to fifth positions, thereby emerging the best country among the five that battled for honors at the continental event including Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya and the host Nigeria.

According to NSF President Toke Aka, Nigerian players made greater efforts to retain the championship they won two years ago in the last edition.

"The championship featured the best players in Africa and those who came to Abuja believed that Nigeria was the team to beat," he said, adding "many of them actually played in the world championship and thought that they could conquer us but Nigeria eventually conquered Africa."

Source: Xinhua