In a landmark event held on 19 August, the National Scrabble Association of Sierra Leone (NSASL) in collaboration with Rokel Commercial Bank (RCBank) hosted the inaugural National Scrabble Competition at Freetown’s Victoria Park.

The event was centred on the theme “Bringing Scrabble to All Sierra Leoneans” and aimed at encouraging educational enrichment and intellectual growth among the population.

The president of NSASL, Christian Asgill, extoled the collaborative efforts of both RCBank and NSASL in popularising scrabble, and selling its ideas to schools and universities.

He commended the management of RCBank for such a great move and contribution to the educational sport.

Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, the Managing Director of RCBank, emphasised the importance of fostering a well-read and articulated populace. He underlined the potential of scrabble to enhance critical thinking, spelling skills, and communications abilities.

Comparing Sierra Leone’s scrabble potentials to that of Nigeria, Dr. Gilpin expressed hopes that Sierra Leone could rise to international recognition in the world of scrabble. RCBank’s collaboration with the Scrabble Association was described as an effort to rekindle interests in such intellectual games in the digital age.

Aruna Dumbuya, the Public Relations Officer, RCBank, profusely thanked participants for their involvement and highlighted future plans, including the hosting of the African Scrabble Competition in Sierra Leone in the coming years.

The champion of the competition, Foday Fofanah, shared his exhilaration at winning and voiced his goals to inspire young learners to embrace scrabble’s intellectual benefits. Fofanah’s victory not only marked a personal achievement but also an opportunity to advocate for the game’s advantages in terms of expanding vocabulary and enhancing cognitive abilities.

Out of the 20 participants, Fofanah emerged as the victor, triumphing over his opponents in three consecutive sets out of five. He was awarded both a trophy and a cash prize of NLe2, 500.

Ishmael Sesay secured second place, earning a certificate and cash award of NLe2, 000, while Ibrahim Lahai claimed the third spot, along with a certificate and NLe1, 500. Mustapha Mattia received recognition as the Best Loser. Each participant was awarded a certificate in recognition of their participation.

The collaboration between NSASL and RCBank marks a significant step towards promoting intellectual pursuits and educational growth within Sierra Leone. As scrabble gains a foothold in the nation’s consciousness, it holds the promise of nurturing young minds and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity.

Credit: Morlai Ibrahim Kamara