NSF to reward World Youth Championship stars with scholarships — Idahosa

NSF to reward World Youth Championship stars with scholarships — Idahosa

The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has announced plans to reward some of the country’s outstanding young players with scholarships and structured developmental support following their impressive performances at the World Youth Scrabble Championships.

The President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Engineer Bright Idahosa, disclosed this in an interview.

Idahosa said the federation was “very, very satisfied” with the performance of the Nigerian contingent, describing the youngsters’ showing as a strong indication that the future of Scrabble in the country remains bright.

According to him, the NSF has identified some promising young players, including Eliana Tamaramie and Yusuf Abdulsalam a talented player from Kwara State, for enhanced support under a deliberate programme aimed at nurturing them into future international stars.

He explained that the proposed scholarships would complement other development initiatives designed to ensure that the players remain focused on both their education and their Scrabble careers.

Idahosa added that promising youngsters would be retained in regular training and camping programmes, with structured assignments provided to sharpen their knowledge, strategic thinking and competitive abilities.

He also stressed the importance of consistent study, noting that young players should dedicate about two hours every day to reading and studying Scrabble as part of their long-term development.

The NSF president particularly highlighted the remarkable story of Eliana Tamaramie, whose participation at the World Youth Scrabble Championships received significant backing from the Bayelsa State Government.

The state government provided support to enable the young player and the team to attend the international competition, an investment that yielded an impressive result as Eliana Tamaramie went on to deliver a strong performance on the global stage.

Idahosa described her achievement as a perfect example of what can be accomplished when talented young players are identified early and provided with the necessary support, encouragement and opportunities to compete at the highest level.

The Scrabble federation chief, however, acknowledged that there were areas that required improvement, saying the experience gained from the championship would provide valuable lessons for the federation’s preparations for future competitions.

He stressed that the NSF’s objective goes beyond celebrating immediate successes, explaining that the federation is focused on building a sustainable development pathway capable of producing stronger Nigerian teams for international competitions in the years ahead.

Idahosa also appealed to parents across the country to embrace Scrabble and encourage their children to take up the game, noting that Nigeria has established itself as one of the leading forces in world Scrabble.

He said the federation was determined to ensure that the next generation of Nigerian players continues that tradition of excellence.

“We just want to keep on developing youths that can win all around the world,” Idahosa said.