The 5th edition of the Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classics (JAMSC), comes to a close later today at the Chevron Recreational Club Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria.
Eight rounds of games will be played on the final day of competition to decide who takes the top honours in the three different categories of the Classics that has 124 record number of players in attendance.
The Mass Communication graduate from Yaba College of Technology, Joseph Okere, closed the day with 9 wins and a cumulative points of plus 873. Abdulmumin Jimoh with the same number of wins but with a lower cumulative points of 642 is second going into the final day.
Surprise package Shedrack Nwakaego is on 8 wins with the ‘King’ of African Scrabble Oluwatimilehin Doko, old war horse Dokun Esan, Surulere SC captain fantastic Olumide Oyejide, Tega Okiemuta, five times Kano National Opens Championship winner Segun Durojaye and Ayomiposi Akinfemisoye coach of Team Lagos.
Eleven other contenders with 7 wins is led by the runners up at the just concluded South West Championship in Akure, Cyril Umebiye. Umebiye is in company of Grand Masters John Aiyedun a ‘serial killer and winner’, as well as former Continental Champion Enoch Nwali, David Ojih, Hakeem Olaribigbe, Emmanuel Umujose, James Ewruje, Ogun State duo of Olufemi Gbadebo and Bukunmi Afolayan, Anthony Odok and Akhere Esangbedo complete the top 20.
Bukunmi Afolayan, winner of the All Nigeria Amazons Scrabble Championship is the highest ranked female with 7 wins and 217 cumulative points at number 18.
The top 20
- Okere Joseph 9–1 +873
- Jimoh Abdulmumin 9–1 +642
- Nwakaego Shedrack 8–2 +676
★ Doko Oluwatimilehin 8–2 +600
★Esan Dokun 8–2 +520
★ Oyejide Olumide 8–2 +477
★ Okiemute, Tega 8–2 +343
★ Durojaye Segun 8–2 +329
★Akinfemisoye Ayomiposi 8-2 +159
★ Umebiye Cyril 7½–2½ +668
★ Aiyedun, John 7–3 +791
★ Nwali Enoch 7–3 +733
★ Ojih David 7–3 +692
★ Olaribigbe Hakeem 7–3 +600
★ Umujose Emmanuel 7–3 +558
★ Ewruje James 7–3 +484
★ Gbadebo Olufemi 7–3 +484
★ Afolayan, Bukunmi 7–3+271
★ Odok Anthony 7–3 +213
★ Esangbedo Akhere 7–3 +139
Twenty nine other big players that includes the defending champion Ryan Jacob are separated by cumulative points with 6 wins each.
Round 11 of games offers some tantalizing encounters.
Here are some of them:
1 Doko vs. Okere
2 Jimoh vs. Akinfemisoye
3 Aiyedun vs. Nwali
4 Nwakaego vs. Okiemute
5 Esan vs. Durojaye
6 Afolayan vs. Oyejide
7 Umebiye vs. Ojih
8 Thorpe vs. Ewruje
9 Ikolo vs. Umujose
10 Humbe vs. Olaribigbe
Meanwhile, the chairman of Lagos State Scrabbble and Monopoly Association, Engineer Dipo Akanbi who is also the captain of Pyramid Scrabble Club, as well as other members of Lekki Scrabble Club added some fillips to the competition with cash backing as part of the host of spot prizes.
750,000 Naira is the top prize money for the Masters category and lots of spot prizes will be up for grab at the end of the Classics that is supported by Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Mind Games Incorporated (MGI), Emmanuel Egbele Annual Scrabble Tournament (EEAST) and Lekki Scrabble Club (LSC).
Over 3.5 million naira will be shared as prize money.
