Host state Ogun emerged as the overall winner of the Scrabble event at the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024.
To claim the top spot, Ogun secured gold medals in the Masters, Female, and Open categories, while Team FCT earned the top medal in the Intermediate class after 15 competitive rounds.
In the Masters category, the formidable duo of African champion Oluwatimilehin Doko and Abdulmumin Jimoh represented Ogun State with excellence, sealing their place at the top of the log in Round 14 with 10½ wins and a cumulative spread of 909 points.
Their closest competitors, Team Lagos State and Team Edo State, both recorded 9 wins but were unable to close the gap with just one round remaining. By the final round, the Ogun pair had confirmed their gold status. Team Lagos (Enoch Nwali and John Ayedun) earned the silver medal with 10 wins, while Edo State’s George Ezinore and Godwin Victor claimed bronze.
In the Female category, Team Ogun State continued its dominance. With two rounds to spare, Adebisi Adekansi and Bukunmi Afolayan secured the state’s second gold medal by putting in a strong performance in Round 14. They ended with 13 wins and a cumulative spread of 1984 points. Team Lagos’ Priscilla Akhabue and Sophia Ekeruche took silver with 11 wins and a spread of 1395, while Joy Nwabuzor and Egbe Ekun picked up the bronze medal.
Ogun completed a gold medal hat-trick by winning the Open category. Emmanuel Ogiogio and David Idris secured the title with a round to spare after recording 11 wins and 3 defeats. They concluded the event with 12 wins, holding off the challenge from Oyo State’s Peter Awonusi and Onu Benjamin, who finished with a 10-5 record to take silver. Abia State’s Charles Princewill and Uchenna Opara also posted a 10-5 record and settled for bronze.
Team FCT prevented a complete Ogun sweep by taking gold in the Intermediate category. Oguntade Oluwasogo and Friday Ogbonyomo led the Abuja-based team to victory with 11 wins and 4 defeats, backed by a spread of 920. Team Lagos State’s Olatunde Adigun and Sunday Ituah earned silver with 10 wins, while Akwa Ibom’s Prestige Archibong and Akamabong took bronze, also with 10 wins and a spread of 354.
Ogun State’s Tunde Saporu and David Ojih narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth on the log.