Top Scrabble players will be yearning to earn a slot in the Kenya team at the final qualifying round this weekend.
The qualifiers for both the East, Central, and Southern Africa Championships and World English Scrabble Players Association Championships (WESPAC) will take place in Bondo.
According to host player Manase Otieno, six of the top players from the national Grand Prix competitions will automatically receive tickets to WESPAC, while the top 25 players will represent the nation at ECASA.
The national Grand Prix competitions included Nyahururu, Nairobi, Standard Chartered and Kitui before Bondo this weekend.
Nderitu Gitonga won Nyahururu while Oyende claimed Nairobi, Standard Chartered, and Kitui meetings to top the standings with five points.
"We are ready to host the event and this being the last qualifiers, we shall have many players who will be seeking to consolidate points for the two international events,” Otieno said.
He noted: “Everything is ready because we don’t like a last-minute rush. Considering we are hosting a huge number of about 80 players, we have had to ensure we get ourselves ready on time.”
He added that they have already bought trophies; paid for the facilities and other logistics that are needed to successfully host an event.
Allan Oyende, the series's current leader, is certain that he will be able to gain additional points in Bondo. He has already qualified for this by virtue of winning three of the series' four matches.
“I have already qualified for both events but I have to travel to Bondo and play more games as part of my training and sharpen my skills ahead of the two important games,” said Oyende.
"In Grand Prix, the fewer points you earn, the better because a win is equal to a point and in each position, you finish, you earn points,” said Nderitu. The two-day event starts on Saturday.
