BEATING STRESS NIGERIAN SCRABBLE PLAYERS WAY

INTERNET SCRABBLE CLUB TO THE RESCUE AS NIGERIA LOCKDOWN!!!

Life and living may never be the same again on planet earth, no thanks to the pandemic induced by coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19).

The news filtered to Nigeria from faraway Wuhan market in China that a new strain of virus is causing infection and unprecedented death in that relatively unknown corner of China.

So many conspiracy theories sprung up in virtually all areas of human endeavors as to the origin of this killing machine (BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, G5, 3RD WORLD WAR, CHINA vs AMERICA) that is bedevilling the whole world and travelling with speed of light to all the countries of the world.

The world is overwhelmed and medical science is helpless for the first time in human existence on earth.

Then the ultimate solution that is really no solution came up: LOCKDOWN.

Once the disease sneaked into Nigeria, we had no option but to join the bandwagon of lockdown syndrome. 

Lagos, the financial capital, expectedly got the first index case was an Italian who travelled down for business and the rest is history.

The many features and characteristics of the virus were disseminated through the social media and traditional media and Nigerians after initial denials accepted the fact that we are part of the global village after all and susceptible.

Washing of hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, no handshake, not face touching, using sanitisers, wearing face mask, social distancing and staying home became a new way of life to avoid contracting this unseen enemy that claimed thousands of lives across the world.

The Nigerian President, Muhammad Buhari, in a national broadcast shutdown Lagos State the epicentre, Ogun the peripheral state and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and the seat of Government.

Nigeria is known worldwide as the best scrabble playing nation and the players in this country can only be classified as paranoid and addictive  players of the game.

Prior to the advent of covid19, the players of this country will always find a way to get together in order to play this game of intelligentsia that we love so much.

One of the meeting points online is, Nigeria Scrabble Friends, a WhatsApp group which has the maximum of 256 players allowable by WhatsApp and it is always a tug of war to get admitted into the group.

Usually this group is a chatroom where scrabble words are discussed and Scrabble Retreats and Tournaments are announced.

This Scrabble Players’ community forum also serve as forum for felicitation on birthdays, weddings, and other social occasions.

Then comes the LOCKDOWN and these scrabble addicts are locked up in their various homes across nation divide, without an iota of hope of being released from the coronavirus induced detention.

Between Day 1 and Day 2, the usual camaraderie and brick a bat was ongoing on the forum but lack of movement without end in sight led to an innovative idea that I am sure is one of the first of its type in playing a game of scrabble online as Internet Scrabble Club platform is converted to Scrabble Tournaments/Retreats unlike the traditional challenges between player from different countries.

Players spatially located across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory Abuja were brought together in a convergence online and fiercely contested tournaments ensued in the last four days with winners emerging about twice a day.

One must make mention of Segun Durojaiye aka Shegetz the convener of the Nigeria Scrabble Friends for this innovation.

Another geek is Mr. Urrhamon aka Dynamite a Technical Director trained by Nigeria Scrabble Federation, he is responsible for pairing of the players for the games, sometimes played in groups when 32 players are involved.

The modus operandi is for players to enter for the tournament online by paying the entry fees of just one thousand Naira while donations are made by either the actual players or online spectators.

The prizes are then fixed for the winners from 1st positioning to 5th ranking from as much as Ten Thousand Naira to as little as One Thousand and Five Hundred Naira.

Players are then advised to go online to match their opponents who must have registered as online players on ISC or platform with their unique handles (names).

Games will then start.

Results of games are then screenshot or camera shot depending on whether the player is playing with their android phones or laptops.

The Technical Director will then collate the results and pair the players again using the King of the Hill format until winners will emerge.

However, the addictive players were engrossed as this innovation helped in passing through the stressful hours and days of a fortnight of total lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the biggest advantages is that the negative coronavirus information overload was reduced to the barest minimum and almost became nonexistent.

The Technical Director is playing a pivotal role to make this innovation workable hence he was being compensated with stipends to motivate him per game.

Human beings can hardly be suppressed by events like coronavirus as we will always find a way to continue existing on terra firma.

CORONAVIRUS WILL PASS AND HUMANITY WILL LIVE ON

THE NEMESIS.

S.K. Fashola

Player's Representative

Nigeria Scrabble Federation