Bondo was the final stop for the word masters competing for a chance to represent Kenya in the WESPA & ECASA championships.
The World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) will take place in Las Vegas in July while Kenya will play host to the East, Central and South Africa Championship (ECASA) over the Easter holiday.
This last qualifier would see team Kenya bag a chance for a 6-player and 4 reserve team for the road to Vegas and a 25-player and 5 reserve team for the ECASA.
The KICOSCA champ, Patrick Miriti led for most of the tournament, offsetting some of the scrabble “podium cartels” while at it. The good-natured man from Meru County was indeed scrambling for points. At the end of day one, he held position one.
Day two, proved to be a scene of dancing chairs, with the previous day’s leaders either falling out of the top 3 brackets or easing into the podium places.
One stealthy player, Willy Mwangi, was able to ease his way into the leading position with an immaculate display of word power and wit. The player from Nakuru won the tournament with 14 points and a positive spread of 869.
Close behind was the man of many names from different regions, Alvin Roberts alias Otieno.
In the past tournaments, the Liberian national has been on a scrabble rampage in different regions, slowly growing his scrabble repertoire. He placed second with a total of 13 points and a positive spread of 454.
The Ugandan Scrabble dragon was not to be left behind. Edgar Odongkara joined the fray with his calm and uncompromising nature. The dragon occasionally crosses the Migingo to stir the waters, Bondo was the perfect outing for him to cause scrabble havoc on the Kenyans.
He bagged the third position with 12 points and 41 points spread more than the Kenyan grandmaster, Allan Oyende and 605 points spread more than the self-acclaimed MVP; Tony Ochola.
The qualifiers of the World scrabble event include:
1. Allan Oyende
2. Michael Gongolo
3. Mutinda Philip
4. Nderitu Gitonga
5. Mutahi Martins
6. Mwangi Willy
7. Amuke Benard
8. Koyyoko Benard
9. Okechi Richard
10. Magwanga Onani
The next scrabble outing, ECASA, will be held in Nairobi from the 7th to the 10th April.
