Record entries for Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classics

A record number of players have registered for the 5th edition of the Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classics (JAMSC), which begins on Saturday at the Chevron Recreational Club, Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria.

We gathered that 117 players drawn from 20 states of the Federation completed their registration online by midnight Wednesday the 13th of November.

A member of the Organizing Committee, Khaleel Adedeji said this number is higher than the 72 participants during the 4th edition won by Ryan Jacob of Team Akwa Ibom.

However, 17 players who have registered are yet to complete their Nigeria Scrabble Federation licensing formalities and regularize their player’s status. The NSF says that failure to do so may prevent them from competing at the Classics.

A good number of established and highly rated players who are yet to be cleared for the Classics include Olatunde Adigun, Ogun State strong man Olufemi Gbadebo, 2022 winner of the prestigious Lekki Scrabble Classics, James Ewruje and a player some Gambia dread, Abiola Oyinloye.

This edition of Janet Adowei Memorial Scrabble Classic has a very rich and strong cast of scrabble show boys and girls.

The roster is led by current African Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, former African champion Enoch Nwali, the Classics’ defending champion Ryan Jacob and serial winner John Aiyedun.

The 2023 South West Closed winner Cyril Umebiye; National Sports Festival medallist and a member of Team Nigeria to major outings Emmanuel Umujose is in the mix, alongside African Games gold medallist Adebisi Adekansi and the 2024 All Nigeria Amazons Scrabble Championship Queen Bukunmi Afolayan.

Two members of Team Nigeria to the African Games in Accra, Ghana, Abdulmumin Jimoh and Tega Okiemuta who were also in Kigali, Rwanda with George Ezinore who came second are other heavyweight wordsmith in attendance along with Samuel Adebola, hard man Babatunde Adeagbo as well as Babajide Alagbada the winner of the Intermediate event in Lekki.

The player with the highest number of wins in a single National Open Championship Segun Durojaye is another confirmed actor this weekend with the 2016 NSF Green Jacket winner Dipo Akanbi.

It’s interesting to mention that Segun Durojaye last big win on the board this year came at the Pyramid Scrabble Mega Retreat that has the signature on Dipo Akanbi the captain of Nigeria’s current club champion.

Adeyemi Adeosun, Dokun Esan, Musa Lateef, Kareem Jamiu, Joseph Okere, Hassan Wasiu, Anthony Odok,  Segun Adegbenro, Sunday Oshodi and Tunde Sapuru are plotting a coup d’état for the super heavyweight including the defending champion Ryan Jacob.

The Classics in its 5th year is in three Divisions.

The cut-off rating point is 1,400 and above for Masters, 1,100-1,399 points for Intermediate while it is 0-1,099 rating points for the Opens Division.

It is 18 rounds of games competition rated by Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) and will run for two days, games start by 10am daily with the 2021 Collins Scrabble Dictionary as the reference material.

Over 3.5 million naira will be shared as prize money.