Bayelsa earmarks N6.5m for Gov Diri National Scrabble Classic
From Chris Eze, Yenagoa
As the fourth edition of Gov. Diri National Scrabble Classic gets under way in Yenagoa Bayelsa capital, organisers of the Championship say N6.5 million would be up for grabs by participants at the sports meet.
According to a statement by the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association , Mr. Daniel Alabrah, this year’s event would hold from August 23-25, 2024.
Alabrah said that the three-day classic, which usually attracts national and international scrabble stars, is slated for the Chief Dappa Biriye Conference Centre of the Golden Tulip Hotel at Onopa, Yenagoa.
The BYSA chairman said the championship was earlier scheduled for July 27 and 28 but had to be shifted due to logistics reasons.
Alabrah said preparations were on to deliver a hitch-free tournament and one of the best since it began in 2021.
“This edition will feature five categories, which are the masters, intermediate, veterans, opens and secondary school students that are based in Bayelsa State.
“There are also special prizes for female players”, he discloed.
Alabrah said that the total prize money in this edition is N6.5 million with the Most Valuable Player in the masters category taking home the N750,000 star prize and a trophy.
“The Governor Diri Scrabble Classic has become the biggest tournament on the NSF calendar and attracts our country’s top players that are dominating the local, African and international circuit.
“This season four promises to be bigger as the prize money has been raised to N6.5 million for the top four categories. Winner of the masters will take home the star prize of N750,000 and a giant trophy. This prize was N500,000 in the previous three editions,” he said.
The BYSA chairman commended Governor Diri’s passion for all-round sports development, which has seen Bayelsa become a sporting hub in the South-South and indeed the whole country.
He said the governor continues to encourage and develop other sports apart from football and that the state reaps the benefits in its outstanding performance at major national competitions.
Alabrah further stated that the registration and other details will be communicated through the NSF and other scrabble platforms on social media.
