{"id":11425,"date":"2015-11-10T07:51:06","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T07:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/?p=11425"},"modified":"2015-11-10T07:52:45","modified_gmt":"2015-11-10T07:52:45","slug":"nigerian-scrabble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/nigerian-scrabble","title":{"rendered":"A Nigerian Becomes The First African To Win\u00a0The English-Language Scrabble Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a6b39195b99473d6c9dd698db2668010\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:2px 0 2px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<center>\r\n\r\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\r\nfunction ShorterThan(widthMax) {\r\n                if (screen.width < widthMax) {return true;}  \r\n                else {return false}\r\n    }\r\nvar LimitWidth = 728\r\nvar MobileZoneID = 348996\r\nvar DesktopZoneID = 348995   \r\n<!--\/\/<![CDATA[\r\n   document.MAX_ct0 ='';\r\n   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?':'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?');\r\n   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);\r\n   document.write (\"<scr\"+\"ipt type='text\/javascript' src='\"+m3_u);\r\n   if (ShorterThan(LimitWidth)) {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+MobileZoneID);} else {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+DesktopZoneID);}\r\n   document.write(\"&nodis=1\");\r\n   document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r);\r\n   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write (\"&exclude=\" + document.MAX_used);\r\n   document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : ''));\r\n   document.write (\"&loc=\" + escape(window.location));\r\n   if (document.referrer) document.write (\"&referer=\" + escape(document.referrer));\r\n   if (document.context) document.write (\"&context=\" + escape(document.context));\r\n   if ((typeof(document.MAX_ct0) != 'undefined') && (document.MAX_ct0.substring(0,4) == 'http')) {\r\n       document.write (\"&ct0=\" + escape(document.MAX_ct0));\r\n   }\r\n   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write (\"&mmm_fo=1\");\r\n   document.write (\"'><\/scr\"+\"ipt>\");\r\n\/\/]]>--><\/script>\r\n<\/center>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wellington Jighere, 32, is the first African to ever win the English-language World Scrabble Championship. He defeated 129 other players, facing off Lewis MacKay from England in the final round. He won four straight rounds against MacKay in a best-of-seven match, winning the final game 449 points to 432. Jighere will take home a $10,000 cash prize and will likely return to adoring fans. \u00a0\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is the first time that an African has won in these world championships so I have to go and celebrate with them<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">,\u201d he says. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bringing glory to his country<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jighere recently finished his national service after graduating from university. He took a few months off to prepare for the competition. He was sponsored by the Nigerian government to travel to the championship, which was held in Perth, Australia. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called him in Perth in joy over his victory and asked him to pass on his congratulations to all the players. The president says he has &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">done the country proud.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d According to the president&#8217;s spokesman, Jighere &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">pledged to bring more glory to his fatherland<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11426\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11426\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12196204_1034420869914798_6368567787484110850_n.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12196204_1034420869914798_6368567787484110850_n.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12196204_1034420869914798_6368567787484110850_n-600x448.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12196204_1034420869914798_6368567787484110850_n-85x64.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11426\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-xlp1\/v\/t1.0-9\/12196204_1034420869914798_6368567787484110850_n.jpg?oh=4ceb346abf12d50112c259202a15b9ed&amp;oe=56C6D8FE\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{adinserter CNP5}<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>He is still baffled at his win<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Nigerian team arrived in Australia the day before the tournament started. Their flight was 20 hours long and there is a seven-hour time difference between the countries. They had very little time to recover from the tiring journey and the jet lag. Jighere says that he had undergone training to help work through jet lag, but was exhausted from playing 32 rounds of matches in four days before getting to the final in Perth. In addition to Jighere\u2019s victory, the Nigerian team finished the competition as the best overall team. Jighere expressed his surprise on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wellington.jighere\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">his Facebook page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt was a battle between one man and a whole continent. It was like I was borrowing the &#8220;pickability&#8221; of all the glorious pickers in the house. \u00a0I&#8217;ve not slept well in about a week. The fact that I was able to perform in spite of the sleeplessness still baffles me. It only goes to prove that God deeply involved in this matter.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11427\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11427\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12191682_1034420666581485_2944356998957269304_n.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12191682_1034420666581485_2944356998957269304_n.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12191682_1034420666581485_2944356998957269304_n-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/12191682_1034420666581485_2944356998957269304_n-85x48.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11427\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-xtp1\/v\/t1.0-9\/12191682_1034420666581485_2944356998957269304_n.jpg?oh=de1ee4065dbb2a4e94fc4bf7357e622a&amp;oe=56B6F269\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>He remains humble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sulaiman Gora, the President of Nigeria&#8217;s Scrabble federation, says that Jighere is a quiet person whose &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">greatest strength is humility<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d and that \u201ct<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">he whole country and the whole of Africa is celebrating this success<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d \u00a0There were some tough competitors in this championship, including Nigel Richards &#8211; the highest-scoring Scrabble player of all time<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/scrabble\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">won the World French Championship without speaking French<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Despite overcoming all of these challenges, Jighere remains humble. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cNigel is still the master. It just happens that today was my day.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11428\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11428\" style=\"width: 703px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-11428\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"703\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264-600x360.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264-450x270.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264-150x90.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/11\/3264-85x51.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11428\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/5d5feb4e45b638acddd4ffd36415230c4ac644cb\/0_305_3264_1959\/master\/3264.jpg?w=620&amp;q=85&amp;auto=format&amp;sharp=10&amp;s=818c8d513bc5e7d5da0d0ae0727fe35d\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/scrabble\">SEE ALSO: The World French Scrabble Champion Does Not Speak French.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wellington Jighere, 32, is the first African to ever win the English-language World Scrabble Championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11428,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[45],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A 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