Arts
Top world scrabblers at Sri Lanka international open
View(s):Leading international Scrabble champions will be heading to Colombo for the Sri Lanka International Open Scrabble Championship (SLIO) to be held from September 7-9 at the OZO Colombo.
Sherwin Rodrigues
The SLIO which is being held for the 7th time since its conception after a lapse of four years, has attracted the participation of over 60 skilled Scrabble players from around the world.
Among the entrants are several celebrated names that are familiar to all in the Scrabble fraternity. Nigel Richards, Sherwin Rodrigues, Goutham Jayaraman, Jakkrit Klaphajone and Naween Fernando amongst many other renowned players from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, India and Pakistan, will be vying for the top prize of USD 3,000.
Joining this star-studded international line-up will be the three-time- world champion Sri Lankan youth team, including current Under 18 world champion Aabid Ismail, runner-up Janul de Silva and 8th placed Vignesh Pirapaharan. Many other members of the team have also reached the Top 10 in previous world youth championships. Most top-rated Sri Lankan players are expected to participate at this tournament.
Nigel Richards needs no introduction as he is commonly acknowledged to be one of the greatest Scrabble players in history. As a three- time winner of the World Scrabble Championship with numerous other tournament victories under his belt, he held the position of highest rated Scrabble player in the world for many years until 2018. Nigel won the previous SL International Open held in 2014.
Sherwin Rodrigues and Goutham Jayaraman, widely acclaimed as two of India’s top players, are notable names in the list of participants. Sherwin, who was placed 10th at the WESPA (World English-Language Scrabble Players Association) World Championship 2017, is no stranger to Sri Lankan scrabblers, having conducted a workshop for the youth team in 2017. Goutham, India’s 2nd highest rated player, was placed 4th at the MSI World Scrabble Championship 2017.
Naween Fernando, an Australian of Sri Lankan origin, is ranked 31st in the world by WESPA rating and has a number of accomplishments to his name, including the Australian National Championship in 2005.
Also taking part is Jakkrit Klaphajone, an eminent player from Thailand who was placed 5th at WESPAC 2017.
The tournament is supported by the Ministry of Sports, Sri Lanka. Its corporate sponsor is Phoenix Industries and the event is also supported by Sri Lanka Tourism and Pyramid Wilmar.
Nigel Richards
Naween Fernando