Scrabble can address poor reading culture, poverty in Nigeria— Thorpe

 Mr Chinedu Thorpe (aka Sidespin), in the world of scrabble, has been a player, trainer, coach and promoter of the game. In this interview with OKECHUKWU ONUEGBU, he reels out the benefits of the game in contemporary times. 

How is scrabble fairing in Nigeria?

 Scrabble is the number one sport that has given Nigeria number one ranking in the world. Unfortunately, many are not aware of that. The ranking is based on cumulative performance. Ironically, it is very neglected in the country.

 What is the place of scrabble in the South-east geopolitical area and Anambra state specifically? 

To start with, the problem we have in the South-east is non-availability of high level players. We have them but they are based outside the region. The first Igbo man to win a scrabble national champion was Chijioke Uzoh from Imo state in 1987. After that, he moved to the US and remained there. The second was Azubuike Ogbogu in 1989. He is from Asaba in Delta state. He was based in Benin playing for Edo and Delta states. The third Igbo man was Ifeanyi Onyeonwu, from Ogbunike, Anambra state. He won in 1990 and was the first scrabble player to win the African championship in 1994. He was also Nigerian number one for a long time based in Benin and plays with Azubuike. They were called the Benin Maffians. I am the fourth from Anambra state. I won in 1994 while playing for Kano state. So, there were no national champions based in the South-east to ginger people. But people were playing all over the country. There are scrabble clubs all over the country attached to the national team. Those existing in the South-east are at Aba (Abia state), Enugu (Enugu state) and Alvan Ikoku (Owerri State). It was when I came down from north to Anambra state on transfer in 2012 that I started a fresh move to reposition scrabble in the state. But before then in 2009, then secretary of Scrabble in Anambra state, Nestor Ikwueze, contacted me to train the state players for the 2009 National Sports festival in Kaduna. It was about two weeks to the national sports festival at Kaduna. I was training the Kano players too. I couldn’t go because I was also expecting the arrival of scrabble equipment which I was to receive personally at Aminu Kano International Airport. I recommended two of my friends and experts from Delta to the state. Delta is the number one scrabble playing state in Nigeria. They trained the Anambra players and they joined us at the event. Anambra state did not win medals but one of the players, Master Chuka Amafor, was adjudged the best or most promising scrabble player of the year. The national body mandated me to train him so that he would play at the World Scrabble Championship in Australia. I wrote to the state government requesting sponsorship of Amafor because his trip was meant to be sponsored by the state. However, that letter was not replied till date. It was one Yoruba speaking state that later sent in someone, Seun Oyeleke for Amafor’s replacement. Seun trained with us at the camp and at the World Scrabble Competition and came sixth in the whole world. That was how Anambra missed that opportunity. Since then, Amafor lost interest in scrabble. I am however back to reposition scrabble in the state. I am ready especially now that the national office has lifted my suspension. The suspension began in 2011 over disagreement I had with some of their officers. It was lifted in 2019. So, I and my teams are going to Edo 2020 (2021) National Sports Festival to make Anambra state and Nigeria proud.  

Have you made any attempt to get the incumbent administration in the state to sponsor any scrabble activity? 

Yes! I must apologise to Governor Willie Obiano, his wife—Ebelechukwu Obiano, and the commissioner for basic education, Prof Azuka Omenugha. I must apologiSe to the entire Anambra. In 2015, I approached the state government for sponsorship of a secondary school scrabble tournament. This is a project of about six million naira. The project was approved even when the governor did not know me. However, a former commissioner for youth and sports and few others insisted that I should not be allowed to handle the project. They said they have other capable hands in the ministry to handle it. I was called unprintable names, so I left them and the project was not executed. I don’t know what happened to the fund to date because I was not interested in the money. When I realised my mistakes, I quickly apologise to the governor, his wife and the commissioner. I have written another proposal to them. I have also introduced Mr Chuks Ndigwe and Mr Odionye to them who I am sure can handle the project perfectly even if I am not involved, but nothing would make me abandon the project. 

Why is scrabble somehow neglected in Nigeria?

I have not seen the connecting point. For any activity to be valuable in the present world, it has to be motivating. It must have to be relevant in putting food on the table of whoever is involved in it. The project needs money to be executed perfectly. There is something I call the tournament scrabble industry. It is a sequence of activities in which people who are involved in scrabble would be adequately rewarded for. In this industry, I would highlight five different individuals or key players. They are the scrabble player, scrabble coach or teacher, scrabble organiser, middleman and sponsor. 

Under this your plan, how could scrabble address crimes and other societal challenges? 

I have devised several types of scrabble tournaments from family level to house to house (neighbour), schools, town, LGA, state and national levels. All that is required is sponsorship through a middle man. The middle man is expected to bring sponsors and collect commission. He did not need to know what scrabble is all about. The sponsor is not obliged to dish out all the money requested. He is free to provide what he can afford. The most important thing is to put down something people can fight (play) for. If for example, a sponsor provides for a year scrabble event in Awka metropolis, we can decide to make it a monthly event. If for instance N10million is required and the sponsor brings out N2 Million, we can still use it to achieve maximum results. Once the tournament is announced, people would begin to study harder to win the prize. This would create employment at all levels. For the one I designed for schools, everyone must win prizes. The school has prizes, so also are the teachers, players and so on.When you look at the crimes being committed in the society, you would find out that it is because most of those involved are out of jobs, unsatisfactorily employed, under the influence of drugs or associated with wrong kinds of persons. Fighting it should not be reacting to crime when it happens. Scrabble should be used to engage the minds of people. 

Are you saying that scrabble can equally be used in addressing poor reading cultures?


Scrabble is the number one sport that can significantly address the poor reading culture and other academic challenges in Nigeria. It compels practitioners to go back to schools. It motivates and inspires players to revisit their books and cultivate a studying habit. If you want to do well in scrabble, you must study hard to increase vocabulary. It is 70% Mathematics and 30% Linguistics. Let us assume money is at stake, you must study hard to win the prize. There are specified books and dictionaries you are to study. The vehicle is wording, while the underlined point is mathematical. That is why it is said to be more of Mathematics than English. If you’re sharp, you would become sharper. If you’re a dullard, you would become sharp. Are there countries you know that have used scrabble to address societal challenges like crimes?
Pakistan used it to fight terrorism by occupying the minds of children, thereby preventing them from being recruited for crimes. Malaysia used it to produce intellectual wizards and so on. There are other people and countries using it to address one issue or another. Is there any particular age bracket meant to play scrabble?
Scrabble is for people of all ages, but the ideal age for one to begin playing scrabble is eight years because that is when one is assumed to have developed cognitive reasoning. Scrabble enhances mental development, prevents development of dementia, a disease of old age. You can play it up to age 80 or more. Don’t you think that the high cost of scrabble equipment is the reason it receives poor attention? The equipment/elements used to be a challenge, but it is no longer a challenge. All the materials are now available online. All you need is an Android phone to download a dictionary, clock, and others. There is also an online board. It is during the tournament you would be required to purchase a board. The standard practice is for one to use their own equipment during tournaments. The prices for standard boards may range from N50,000 to N200,000, but anyone that is serious can buy that paper board. There are others within N15,000 or N18,000. The equipment are very affordable now. Do you subscribe to the notion that scrabble should form part of school curricular?
Yes. It could be made a curricular subject; it is workable, but I would advise that students should not be compelled to study or play it. Schools should not also be compelled to register it. It should be optional. What should be done is that schools and students that engage in it should be adequately rewarded.

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