Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Mr Bibowei Lambert has commended the state governor, Senator Douye Diri for increasing the prize money of the Masters category in the next edition of the Governor Diri National Scrabble Classics to #5 million and the total prize money up from N20 million to ₦40 million.
Speaking at the end of the sixth edition of the governor Diri National Scrabble Classics in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Mr Lambert hailed the governor for bringing scrabble players across the country and beyond to Bayelsa in the past six years.He noted that the increment in the prize money from ₦20 million to ₦40 million reflects the governor’s unending passion for sports development and that the increase will further encourage participation amongst scrabble players in the nation.
The Director, who acknowledged the importance of money in sports, asserted that the increase would bring the best of scrabble players to Bayelsa, maintaining that the fiesta has become the biggest scrabble showpiece in Africa.
According to him, he was impressed with the performance of Bayelsa scrabble players dominating the opens and the intermediate categories, expressing confidence that a Bayelsan would emerge champion in the masters category next year, having come close this year.
Mr. Lambert, who described scrabble as a mind game, noted that the history of Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF would be incomplete without mentioning Bayelsa, maintaining that the dream of every scrabble player in the country at the moment is to participate in the Gov Diri National Scrabble Classics.
“It was a wonderful one, every year it gets better, and it was better this year because of the presence of His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri at the closing ceremony for the first time ever, and you know it was the sixth edition”. he stated.”As you are aware, scrabble is a mind game, and as a result, it is an educational game. Like His Excellency said yesterday, that Scrabble will be introduced in schools in the State.
There will be a collaboration between the ministry of Sports Development and the Ministry of Education because we all work together”He appreciated the governor, Senator Douye Diri, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr Daniel Igali, and Mr. Pereyi Efeke, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports Development, for ensuring that youths realize their potentials through sports.
