Africa-Press – Kenya. Willy Mwangi won the East, Central and Southern Africa Scrabble on April 9 at the College of Insurance, Nairobi. Mwangi, who is a barber, won his third ECASA title ahead of World English Scrabble Players Association Championships (WESPAC) that will be held in Las Vegas, USA come August.
He triumphed in the last Scrabble Kenya qualification round in Bondo and went on to win the competition’s Gibsonized round, helping Kenya to retain the overall championship. He said his win came as a result of mastering scrabble vocabulary, undergoing proper training and taking advantage of home ground.
“The win was not easy and this is my third ECASA title after winning in 2010 in Jinja, Uganda and 2016 in Nairobi. I was composed and played a very good game for the last three days. I also got the right words and vocabulary on the board,” Mwangi said.
Mwangi expressed joy for having guided the Word Warriors, Kenya’s national scrabble team, to back-to-back victories. “When I won against Edgar Odongkara from Uganda, I knew I was going to be the champion. It felt nice winning the title with a game to spare,” he said.
About 200 players from eight countries participated in the three-day tournament. His longest word during the tournament was INCHOATES before scooping the highest 127 points when he placed the word ATOMIZER.
“With such words, I am happy with a good comeback, reclaiming my title seven years down the line,” said Mwangi. Kenya retained the title they won last year in Jinja where Allan Oyende was victorious.
Seed 4 Mwangi led fellow countrymen Nderitu Gitonga, who finished second with 19 wins and 8 losses and Michael Gongolo, who finished third with 18 wins, 8 losses, and a draw in the 27-match competition.
Richard Geria of Uganda came in fourth, ahead of the former Scrabble Kenya chairman Bernard Amuke, Odongkara, Justin Chansa of Zambia, Bernard Koyyoko, Tony Ocholla and Martins Mutahi.
Mwangi revealed that in his spare time, he focuses on the scrabble board to hone his skills. “I have a busy barber shop and when there are no customers, I usually turn my focus on the board just to equip myself with a few words on the board,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
