By Hananeel Jackson
Over 400 scrabble players from across Nigeria are expected to converge on Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, for the first Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship.
A letter from the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) to the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association (BYSA) indicated that the tournament would hold at the end of May.
Chairman of the BYSA, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, who confirmed the hosting right to journalists in Yenagoa, said it would hold between May 28 and 30.
Alabrah said the NSF president, Garba Gora, and top scrabble players in the country are expected to be present at the three-day event.
He said the essence of the championship was to enhance the development of scrabble in the state.
According to him, scrabble is an intellectual board game that helps to improve the use of words as well as inculcate good reading culture.
He added that the association had begun a catch-them-young campaign in schools in order to encourage young Bayelsans to embrace scrabble as an intellectual game and be able to compete with their counterparts within and outside Nigeria.
Alabrah is equally upbeat that the showpiece would be an avenue to boost the economy of the state.
About N10 million would be up for grabs as prize money in the masters, intermediate, veterans, opens, best females and students categories.
The COVID-19 protocols would also be observed during the championship.