2006 Zambia Scrabble Association ZSA national Champion Pauln Kalumba has lost his title to Kenyan woman scrabble champion Cecilia Ruto 962 – 901 with 12 wins in a thrilling final in Ndola.
ZSA outgoing President Kelvin Sikazwe confirmed to ZANIS sports that Kalumba was
unable to use home ground advantage to defeat the Kenyan.
The 2006 Zambian Champion had 11. 5 wins to amass 962 points to become second best
in the championship played at New Savoy hotel.
Sikwaze said Patrick Mpundu took third position after defeating Frank Chitambala 734
– 394 respectively.
Others are Mwila Ngosa, Mwenya Mukonge, Clifford Koti, Sikazwe and Julius Mulele.
And 2007 ZSA Champion Ruto said she was happy to win the championship despite the
stiff competition from other players.
Ruto who described the championship as very competitive said she was not regarded as
a major threat at the begining saying that though she lost her first game she went
ahead to win the next two games to emerge winner.
She said scrabble was not a physical game saying what all matters was ‘ using ones
wits’ to win.
She urged Zambian women not to shy away from the taking up the sport and not to
leave it to men.
Meawhile, ZSA has paid tribute to government for supporting minor sports ion the
country.
ZSA Board member Mukonge said his organisation was grateful to government for
supporting minor sports such as scrabble.
Mukonge revealed that the Youth,Sports and Child Development ministry was supportive
of ZSA’s plans to hold the pan African scrable championship to be held in Zambia
next year.
He said ZSA would hold talks with Sports, Youth and Child Development minister
Gabriel Namulambe on next year’s tournament that has already recieved confirmations
form Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania , Ghana and South Africa.
He added that the tournament would be held in Livingstone to market Zambia’s tourism
to the international scrabblers.
Cograts to Ruto Cissy. quite a big acheivement. BUT AM NEXT COME 2008