Heated Scenes as 27th NUGA Scrabble Begins

Scrabble event at the ongoing 27th Nigerian University Games (NUGA) hosted by the University of Jos

By Prosper Okoye
The Scrabble event at the ongoing 27th Nigerian University Games (NUGA) hosted by the University of Jos opened on Friday with fierce competition, emotional outbursts, and moments that tested the spirit of sportsmanship.

Ordinarily seen as an intellectual and gentlemanly game, Scrabble took a dramatic turn inside the university’s library hall as contestants from 26 institutions battled for medals in the men’s and women’s singles categories. The rhythmic clatter of tiles filled the air, but the atmosphere was far from calm.

A heated exchange erupted between two female players from the University of Uyo and the University of Ibadan over score calculations during the second round. Voices were raised, tears flowed, and play was briefly halted as officials intervened to restore order.

Speaking with Campulse News, Scrabble Coordinator Engineer Olobatoke Aka described the turnout as encouraging but slightly below that of the 26th edition held in Lagos. “You can see it’s well attended, but lower than what it was in the last NUGA. Then we had about 263 participants; here we have about 230 cleared, though only 188 made it to Jos,” he explained.

Aka attributed the shortfall to academic calendars and logistics that prevented some players from travelling. According to him, this year’s tournament features four categories — singles, doubles, team events, and a special “best board” medal for individual performance within the team rounds. “It’s a game of word power and strategy,” he said. “In the doubles, two players complement each other’s strengths, while in the team event, three players from one institution face three from another.”

Reflecting on the development of university Scrabble, Aka noted that the competition continues to serve as a breeding ground for future national and international champions.

“The awareness is increasing. Some of those who excelled at the last NUGA have gone on to represent Nigeria at world and African championships,” he said.

He also hinted at a possible shake-up in dominance, revealing that the defending champions from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) are not as strongly represented this year.

“UNILAG came with only two players, so they can only compete for a few medals. It’ll be interesting to see which university dominates this time,” he added.

For many players, the day brought both pressure and learning moments. Kingsley Marvel from Benson Idahosa University admitted struggling to find his rhythm after arriving from Abuja on the morning of the event.

“I didn’t perform well because I’m very jet-lagged. I was hoping the games would start tomorrow after the opening ceremony,” he said. Marvel managed two losses and three wins from his five rounds.

In the female category, Zainab Suleiman from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, described her first NUGA experience as overwhelming yet inspiring. “This is my first time here, so it feels strange meeting people with so much experience,” she said. “At some points, I felt lost. I thought I was ready for this, but the players I met were not joking.” Zainab, however, managed to secure three wins out of five rounds.

With 188 players competing across multiple categories, the Scrabble tournament promises more drama as the rounds progress, with medals to be decided in the coming days.