Scrabble Kenya (SK) will be selecting a formidable Word Warriors, the national Scrabble Kenya team that will represent the country at the East and Central Africa Scrabble Championships (ECASA) this weekend in Eldoret.
SK chairman Bernard Amuke said that a total of 25 players will be selected in the last series ahead of the ECASA tournament that will be held in Jinja, Uganda between April 15th and 16th where Kenya will be defending the title following their dominance.
The two day event at Gulab Lochab Academy that starts on Saturday to Sunday, will attract top players led by Kenya one Allan Oyende, Tobias Outi, Michael Gongolo, Onani Magangwa among others will lead the nation in defending the title that has been won by Kenya in all years since the regional tournament was established.
Among the 25 players, five of them got wild cards after failing to play in the four tournaments that kicked off in Nairobi in January, Kitui in February, March in Kisumu and the last event in Eldoret.
“We shall be selecting 25 players that will be battling out of Kenyan flag. The Eldoret event will be the last one in our national series ahead of the Jinja show,” said Amuke.
The meeting at the Gulab Lochab Academy, Amuke said top 25 players will have a chance to represent the country and for any player to qualify, they must have played in at least three national tournaments.
“For each player to qualify, they must have played in three meetings but we have those that earned the wild card. Defending champion Gitonga Nderitu is one of those players who were handed the wild cards. He had requested the chance since he was involved in his work,” said Amuke.
Others who earned the world card include Robins Mugaki based in the United States of America, Jared Omollo based in Rwanda, Kenya’s top five seed player Francis Wachira, who was sick and one top student from a university.
However, the chairman has been facing challenges since they lack sponsors for the tournament.
“We have been doing this without a sponsor but we are hoping that this time, we shall get one. If we don’t then we shall be forced to foot our bills as individuals,” he said.