The third round of the National Scrabble Championships heads to Kisumu this weekend as players seek Team Kenya tickets for the East and Central Africa Scrabble (ECASA) Championships next month in Uganda.
The event, which is part of the Kenya Open, will be held on March 5 and 6 at the Park View hotel.
Top seed player Allan Oyende will lead top players in Class 'A' while host Eric Mukhalasie will be targeting back-to-back titles in Class 'B'.
Nairobi and Kitui hosted the previous events and Mukhalasie said he is confident of defending the title he won in 2019. All the 2020 and 2021 championships were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The championships will then head to Eldoret after two weeks later, where the national team to Uganda will be named.
“I have been sharpening my skills ahead of this tournament as I seek to defend my title. We are welcoming top players like Kenya One Allan Oyende, among others to this crucial championship,” said Mukhalasie.
Kenya will be hoping to win the regional title they won in Kigali, Rwanda in 2019.
“The Kisumu event will have three categories, A, B and C, where 'A' is meant for the seeded players. Class 'B' has the second-best players while 'C' comprises of starters and inexperienced students,” said Mukhalasie.
Mukhalasie, who turns up for KCB Bank, said they will follow the laid down protocols to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
“We went for two years without major tournaments and now that we have a chance to play and enjoy the game, it will be upon to ensure we avoid the spread of the virus," he said. "We shall follow government protocols all the time.”
