Nigeria Makes History at World Youth Scrabble Championships in Malaysia
Written by Alonge Akinlolu on 2 — 09
History was made in Malaysia as Team Nigeria captain, Abdulqudus Aliu, became the first Nigerian and African to win a silver medal at the World Youth Scrabble Championships. Aliu secured second place behind India’s Madhav Gopal Kamath, who claimed gold.
Aliu finished the championship with 19 wins from 24 games and an impressive 1,406 cumulative points. His Indian counterpart, Kamath, emerged champion with 21 wins and a +2,354 cumulative score.
It was a double moment of pride for Nigeria and the continent as Sophia Ebube Ekeruche made history, becoming the first African female to win the Best Female Award at the global event. The young star recorded 15 wins and 2 draws from 24 games, showcasing her resilience and consistency throughout the tournament.
Ekeruche, who recently won the U-15 African Youth Scrabble Championship, started strongly on Day 1 with five wins and a draw. She continued her fine form on Day 2, claiming another five victories from seven games to finish with 867 cumulative points. Out of 218 players representing 16 countries, she secured an impressive 12th place overall.
Other Nigerian representatives, Prestige Archibong and Joy Eberechukwu Nwabuzor, also competed at the event but finished outside the honours list.
Reacting to the team’s performance, the President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Olobatoke Aka, described the achievement as a clear sign of Nigeria’s growing dominance in global scrabble.
“This remarkable feat by Abdulqudus and Sophia is a testament to the steady growth of scrabble in Nigeria. It shows that with the right support, our young talents can compete and shine on the world stage,” Aka said.
