Charles Haizel Tachie Menson of Ghana has made history by winning the Lekki Scrabble Classics in Nigeria, becoming the first non-Nigerian to clinch a major scrabble event in the country in ten years.
Tachie Menson, who recently finished eighth at the World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) in Las Vegas, topped a field of 62 masters players. He won 14 out of 18 games with a cumulative score of +977 points over the two-day championship.
“I’ve been coming many times. This time, I think I was very composed, and I took my chances,” he said in an interview with First Zealmediacast Blog.
The victory is seen as a significant boost for Ghanaian scrabble. Haruna Adamu, president of the Scrabble Association of Ghana, said: “Hosting the African Games in Accra last year is paying off. I think we are getting the benefit of it now.”
The tournament, organised by the Lekki Scrabble Club, saw 45 million naira (£36,000) shared as prize money across two divisions.
Tachie Menson won one million naira (£800) for his victory in Division A.
The Ghanaian champion is now setting his sights on the upcoming African Scrabble Championship in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nigerian players have long dominated competitive scrabble in West Africa, consistently producing world-class players. Tachie Menson’s victory could signal a shift in the regional scrabble landscape.
Famous stakeholders in the Scrabble fraternity, who graced the event include: The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka, The Technical Director John Curtis, Head coach of the national team Prince, Sir Anthony Ikolo, Head coach youth scrabble team Samuel Eromosele, The Convener of JAMSC, Engineer Ebikeme Adowei, The CEO Frontpage Couture, Charles Uzamere, Grand Masters and Continental Champion, Femi Awowade, Executive member World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA), Lukeman Owolabi, Coach of Lagos State Scrabbble team, Ayomipisi Akinfemisoye, Chairman Lagos State Scrabbble and Monopoly Association, Engineer Dipo Akanbi, Former Guinness World record holder – Cookathon, Hilda Bassey.
