Imaad becomes youth scrabble champion for second time

KARACHI: Pakistan’s 15-year-old Imaad Ali became the world youth scrabble champion by winning nine of his 13 games in the final round of 2nd online Pharmevo WESPA Youth Cup on Sunday.

Imaad won this youth title for the second time, the first in the world to have done so.

Around 80 players from 14 countries participated in the championship.

India’s Madhav Gopal Kamath, 10, remained the runner-up, becoming the first Indian to finish among the top three in any scrabble championship. Gopal also won nine of his 13 games but marginally lost out on the spread.

The third spot was won by Napat Vatjanurathorn of Thailand who was the best player of the last edition of the team event youth tournament played earlier this year. Napat won eight of his 13 games.

Pakistan’s Hasham Hadi Khan clinched the fourth spot by winning seven of his 13 games.

Pakistan also won the team prize. This is the third time Pakistan have won this title.

Pakistan Scrabble Association President Nadeem Omar distributed prizes among the winners. He called for introducing and promoting sports at school level.

“Pakistan is performing extraordinarily in scrabble because there is no involvement of the government in it. Sports have been wiped out from schools and it is the reason for Pakistan’s decline in sports,” said Nadeem, who is also the owner of PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators.

He added that by successfully holding the world online youth scrabble championship, Pakistan proved that it had both talented youth and the technology to become champions.

Blaming the government for Pakistan’s return without a medal from the Tokyo Olympics, he said there was a need to end the government’s involvement in sports. He said he expected Pakistan’s achievements in mind sports to inspire players in physical sports.

Nadeem announced a prize of Rs100,000 for Imaad and said he expected him to clinch the title of world scrabble champion.

Sarfaraz to remain Quetta Gladiator’s skipper

Talking about cricket, he said Sarfaraz Ahmed would remain the skipper of Quetta Gladiators for as long as he was able to play.

Nadeem said he helped Pakistan won the Under-19 World Cup and Champions Trophy. “He still has a lot of cricket to play. Sarfaraz should be in the national team where an experienced wicket-keeper batsman like him is needed,” he added.