Seedial, Jebodhsingh and Neptune star in Spartan scrabble

Tairah John-Seedial, Dillon Jebodhsingh and Rawle Neptune all emerged winners of Spartans Scrabble Players’ third annual Scrabble Tournament held at the St Joseph Community Centre on July 15. The tournament, which was sanctioned by the T&T Scrabble Association (T&TSA), was held in collaboration with the St Joseph Community Council which also sponsored the event. More than 50 participants competed in three categories (advanced, intermediate and schools) based on standard of play determined by ongoing ratings done by the T&TSA. In each category special awards were given to persons with the highest score for words made with the four premium letter tiles—“J”, “Q”, “X”, “Z”, persons with the Highest Single Play (HSP), Most Bonus Words (MBW) and Highest Game Score (HGS).

 

Neptune triumphed over all in the advanced category ending with 5.5 wins and a points difference (pd) of 188. Taking up the successive top four spots were T&TSA President, Kurt Ross (5 wins pd 475), Leslie Charles (5 wins pd 381), and Compton Welch (5 wins pd 205). Former National Secondary School Tournament champion, Jebodhsingh, came out on top in the intermediate category as the only one to grab six wins plus a pd of 621. He was followed by Peter Wharton (5 wins pd 515) in second, Gloria Nelson (5 wins pd 461) in third and June Victor (5 wins pd 316) in fourth. Ten-year-old John-Seedial, made her San Fernando TML Primary School and family proud when she won all her five games and had a pd of 413 to take first place in the schools category. John-Seedial is coached by her grandmother, Pat John, who is a pioneer of Scrabble and the current number one ranked player in T&T. John-Seedial beat fellow ten-year-old school-mate, Sophia Mohammed (4 wins pd 345), into third and nine-year-old Diamond Vale Government Primary School student, Shamika Thomas (4 wins pd 370), in second place.

 

Results

Advanced 

1st- Rawle Neptune (5.5wins pd 188)

2nd- Kurt Ross(5 wins pd 475)

3rd- Leslie Charles (5 wins pd 381)

4th- Compton Welch (5 wins pd 205)

Highest Game Score (HGS)- Iqbal Khan (556)

Highest Single Play (HSP) - Amir Andi-Abdoerrachman (115pts for “Quested”)

Most Bonus Words (MBW) - Carol Ross (14)

 

Intermediate 

1st - Dillon Jebodhsingh (6 wins pd 621)

2nd - Peter Wharton (5 wins pd 515)

3rd - Gloria Nelson (5 wins pd 461) 

4th - June Victor (5 wins pd 316)

HGS - Kenorian Smith (548) 

HSP - Dillon Jebodhsingh  (111pts for “Zithers”)

MBW - Dillon Jebodhsingh (12)

 

Schools

1st - Tairah John-Seedial (5 games pd 413) 

2nd - Shamika Thomas (4 wins pd 370) 

3rd - Sophia Mohammed (4 wins pd 345) 

HGS - Tairah John-Seedial 502 pts which is a great score for a 10-year-old.

HSP - Joshua Akin (104 pts for “Sixteen”)

MBW - Shamika Thomas (5)