Homabay’s Onani Magwanga won National Scrabble Kenya (SK) tournament held in Eldoret over the weekend at Eldoret National Polytechnic.
As the first tournament after World warriors, the national team returned in the country from World English Scrabble Players Championships in Goa, India, Magwanga defeated 60 other players for the title after toppling day one leader Fred Magu.
Magwanga won the Premier when he scored +882 from 13 wins out of 18, with Magu managing the same win with inferior points of +349 to settle in second position as SK chairman Bernard Amuke came in third position with 12 wins +791 and Bernard Koyyoko, who withdrew from Goa bound team was 4th overall with 11 points +593 while Francis Wachira from Nyeri was 5th with 11 wins +19
Onani and Magu, top seed Allan Oyende were in the Kenya team where the later was the best Kenyan in the world finisning 17th overall.
In the Intermediate division, Paul Bosita from Busia won gold with 13 wins. Second place went to Simeon Omolo from Kisumu County who won an impressive 12 wins +657. Bronze went to Limo Kipkemoi from Nairobi County who had 12 wins +634. Fourth place went to Mike Wanjau from Uasin Gishu while Powell Kiplagat closed the podium.
The Open Division was very competitive with Equity Bank and Eldowas fighting it out for gold. George Mwangi from Equity emerged victorious with 13 wins +1007.
Peter Maaga of ELDOWAS took silver with 12 wins +908 while Eric Odhiambo of Nakuru County won bronze. Linda Oliech from Eldowas was fourth while Dancan Mathenge from Eldoret Polytechnic closed the podium.
High word was OVERHANG which scored 199 for Joseph Mahinda while highest combined score went to Bernard Amuke and Onani Magwanga.
“We had a good representation in the worlds with Kenya placing second in Africa and 9th in the world. The youth Cup is around the corner and we expect good things as well” said Amuke.
This was the last outing before the youth head for the WESPA Youth Cup tournament in Malaysia .
The next national tournament will be hosted in Nakuru on the 8th and 9th of December