Africa-Press – Liberia. Liberia has been officially named as the host of the 2026 African Scrabble Championship following a historic visit by the President of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), Adekoyejo Adegbesan.
The visit, part of the African Youth Scrabble Championship Trophy Tour, marks the first time a sitting PANASA president has visited Liberia.
During his multi-day stay, Adegbesan met with key stakeholders, interacted with young players, and assessed sporting facilities. His endorsement positions Liberia as a growing force in African Scrabble and highlights the country’s steady progress in developing the sport.
“Liberia has earned this,” Adegbesan said during a press briefing in Monrovia. “What we’ve seen here — the passion, the organization, the ambition — is exactly what we look for when choosing partners. Liberia is no longer a fringe participant. It is a rising Scrabble power in Africa.”
Adegbesan confirmed that the 16th African Scrabble Championship in 2026 will be hosted at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, which he described as meeting all necessary PANASA standards, including lighting, space, and accessibility.
“We’re confident Liberia will deliver a world-class event,” he stated.
In addition to discussions on tournament logistics, the PANASA president stressed Scrabble’s potential impact on education and youth development.
He engaged with school-aged players and reaffirmed Liberia’s inclusion in PANASA’s School Scrabble Expansion Initiative, a program designed to support teachers with tools and training to integrate Scrabble into classrooms.
“We want Scrabble to be more than a game,” Adegbesan said. “It should be a learning tool — one that sharpens vocabulary, spelling, strategy, and focus.” He pointed to Rwanda’s successful integration of Scrabble into its national curriculum and encouraged Liberia to follow a similar path, pledging PANASA’s support for implementation.
Lester T. Morris, President of the National Scrabble Association of Liberia (NASAL), welcomed the recognition, describing the visit as a breakthrough moment after years of grassroots efforts.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to build the sport from the ground up,” Morris said. “This visit is proof that those efforts are being seen, valued, and rewarded.”
Under Morris’s leadership, NASAL has launched competitions such as Scrabble Mania and the Royal Series, aimed at spreading the game beyond Monrovia. The association is now working with schools and youth groups in other counties as part of a national development push.
Adegbesan also confirmed Liberia’s upcoming participation in the African Youth Scrabble Championship in Nairobi, Kenya later this year. He further endorsed Liberia’s plans to send players to the World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) in Accra, Ghana in November.
Scrabble was included in Liberia’s 2024/2025 national sports budget for the first time in two decades, with an allocation of US$5,000. While small, the funding is seen as an important first step.
“We now have a line in the budget,” Morris noted. “The challenge is to prove that this game — so rich in literacy, logic, and leadership — deserves even more.”
Adegbesan concluded his visit with a message of long-term commitment, stating that PANASA’s engagement with Liberia would extend beyond 2026.
“We will not just come and go,” he said. “We are here to build something lasting. Liberia is now firmly on the map in African Scrabble.”
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