The 2024 Ghana National Scrabble Championship has come to an end with Edwin Boama emerging victorious, beating the country’s top scrabble talents to claim the prestigious title and a lucrative prize.
The two-day tournament, held at Wan-shi Gardens in Accra from 2nd to 3rd November, saw Boama beat stiff competition from highly rated Tachie Menson for the title.
In a display of exceptional word mastery, Boama dominated the competition with a remarkable record of 17 wins and just one loss, accumulating a spread of +1,002 points, clinching the 3,000 GHS prize, a trophy, and a scrabble set.
The championship’s competitiveness was highlighted by runner-up Charles Haizel Tachie Menson, who recently made history as the first non-Nigerian to win a major scrabble event in Nigeria in a decade at the Lekki Scrabble Classics. Menson’s performance of 13 wins and 5 losses, with the tournament’s highest spread of +1,103, earned him 2,000 GHS and a trophy.
A mere handful of points separated several crucial matches in the middle rankings, with Stanley Ubiedu securing third place with 12 wins and 6 losses (+963 spread), earning 1,500 GHS and a trophy.
The battle for fourth and fifth positions was equally intense, with Victor Amartey and George Addo both winning 12 games. Amartey edged ahead with a spread of +594, winning 1,200 GHS, while Addo finished with +243 and received 1,000 GHS.
Prizes continued down to 10th place, with 700 GHS for 6th, 400 GHS for 7th, 300 GHS for 8th, and 200 GHS each for 9th and 10th.
The best performing open players also received prizes, with 1st place earning 800 GHS and a trophy, 2nd place 500 GHS, and 3rd place 200 GHS.
The tournament, featuring 28 of Ghana’s top players, showcased the depth of talent in the country’s scrabble scene.
Each round saw players employing sophisticated strategies and extensive vocabulary knowledge, with many games featuring rare words and complex board positions that kept spectators engaged.
SCAG’s organisation of the event, with its 15,000 GHS prize pool distributed among the top 13 finishers, reflects the growing professionalisation of the sport in Ghana.
The association has been instrumental in raising competitive standards through regular tournaments and training sessions across the country.
