Onu Jeffery of Bayelsa state has won the third edition of the Dynamite Opens Scrabble Championship held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos over the weekend.
Onu, who won gold at the mixed team event of the 2020 National Sports Festival, recorded an unassailable 15 victories and three defeats with a cumulative of 1,560 points ahead of second placed Idonrenyin Anthony from Nasarawa and Lagos based Osadolor Charles who place third.
The calm and calculated player fended off a stiff challenge from Adewale Shonibare in game 17 of the 18-Round tournament to secure a comfortable lead ahead of the final set of games.
An elated Onu commended the standard of play and was humble even in victory.
“I’m very happy. It’s a very competitive tournament. I wasn’t really the best participant but by God grace I came out on top. The first factor that gave me victory, which is most important, was God’s grace, the second factor was my ability to rally round with some of the words I have studied in the past. I kept playing most of the time and engaged myself. I also thank God for my lovely wife and my family. I also thank the organisers for giving us a platform to express our talents”
In other prize categories decided, Gabriel Chiamaka emerged as the Best Female Player ahead of Omotayo Osibote and Priscilla Akhabue who were ranked second and third respectively.
