Sunday Dare, the minister of Youth and Sports Development will on Monday receive the much-talked-about Dr. Winifred Awosika Africa Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy in Abuja.
The prestigious trophy has been on a tour of African countries as a way of eliciting awareness and motivating school children and youth on the social, cultural and educative influences Scrabble wields as a mind game and a competitive sport.
Players from Ghana, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Liberia, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Zambia and others will feature in the U-15 and U-19 categories of the championship which will be held simultaneously with the President’s Cup from August 24-28 in Lekki, Lagos.
The Trophy Tour is unprecedented and the first ever for any continental Scrabble tournament.
According to the programme of events, Nigeria as the host country will be the next to welcome the Trophy Tour after it was received by top government officials in countries visited so far.
On Monday, the Dr.Winifred Awosika Trophy is expected to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Monday morning ahead of a reception where staff, students and management of Chrisland School and enthusiasts will be treated to some entertainment by the Nigeria Police Force Band and cultural troops.
After the reception, activities will shift to the Sports Ministry where the minister of Youth and Sports Development Dare will receive the adorable trophy in person by 4 pm at the remarkable event.
President of Pan Africa Scrabble Association (PANASA) Adegbesan Adekoyejo who has been on the Trophy Tour with the only African to win the World Championship Wellington Jighere said Monday’s event underlines the significance of scrabble in human development.
“We are glad about the impact the Dr Winifred Awosika Africa Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy Tour has made on many communities and groups including school children in Africa. Sports ministers of the countries it has gone to in the past weeks have expressed strong support for the development of scrabble as a competitive sport.”
“So for the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare to receive the trophy as we are bringing it to Nigeria which is hosting these two new tournaments in August, this signifies the new status and heights scrabble has climbed to in the country, especially among our youths,” he said.
Over 120 players from 12 countries are expected at the maiden tournament where cash prizes and laptops will be won by successful players.