The 15th African Scrabble Championship has begun in Kigali, Rwanda, featuring the continent’s top word warriors vying for the prestigious Continental Champion title.
Following Wednesday’s technical meeting, the four-day tournament has swung into full momentum at the Olympic Hotel in Kigali, drawing competitors from 13 nations, marking the Pan African Scrabble Association’s (PANASA) 30th anniversary.
Defending champions Nigeria, along with traditional powerhouses South Africa and Kenya, are among the nations vying for supremacy in what has been dubbed “The Showdown in Kigali”.
This year’s continental championship also coincides with the Pan African Scrabble Association’s (PANASA) anniversary, with a list of scrabble stalwarts slated for awards for their contributions to the growth of the game in Africa.
PANASA President Ade Adegbesan, who is anchoring the tournament’s live broadcast, said: “This record turnout of 189 players demonstrates the growing strength of African Scrabble.”
Players will compete across 32 rounds, with live commentary provided by former World English-language Scrabble Championship (WESPAC) winner Wellington Jighere and continental expert Edgar Odongkara.
The championship, which concludes on Sunday, offers a top prize of £4,000 ($5,000) and the coveted Continental Champion gold badge. Ten former PANASA champions received automatic entry through wildcards.
The tournament, rated by the World English-language Scrabble Players’ Association (WESPA), is being streamed live on PANASA’s official YouTube channel from 9am (Central Africa Time) daily.
Scrabble enthusiasts on the continent and around the world can follow or subscribe to the official page to watch 32 rounds of top notch Scrabble.
YouTube.Com/@panafricanscrabbleassociation.
