Wellington Jighere (born c. 1982[1]) is a Nigerian Scrabble player. He won the World Scrabble Championship 2015, the first win for an African nation.[2] He defeated Lewis MacKay in four straight wins.[3][4]
Wellington Jighere | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1982 (age 41–42) Umolo-Olomu, Delta State, Nigeria |
| Other names | "The Cat in the Hat" |
| Occupation | Scrabble player |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Scrabble World Champion (2015) |
Jighere is nicknamed "The Cat in the Hat" for his quiet personality and fondness for hats.[5]
Career
editJighere began playing Scrabble tournaments in 2002, after winning games versus friends in the tournament scene.[6] He was the winner of the 2015 Scrabble World Championship, the first win for an African nation.[7] After winning, he received a congratulatory phone call from president Muhammadu Buhari.[6]
He intended to appear in the World Scrabble Championship 2016, but the French government denied his passport, along with every other member of the Nigerian Scrabble team.[8]
In 2020, he announced his retirement from tournament Scrabble, due to not being paid prize money.[9] He unretired in 2023, making an appearance in the year's World Scrabble Championship.
Achievements
edit- World Scrabble Championships[10]
- North American Scrabble Players Championship
- African Scrabble Championship / Pan African Championship[12]
- 2006 – 7th place
- 2008 – winner
- 2010 – winner
- 2014 – 20th place
- 2016 – 11th place
- 2022 – 2nd place
- West African Scrabble Championship
- 2022 – 3rd place[13]
- Nigerian National Scrabble Tournament
- 2019 – winner[14]
- Asaf Zadok Nigerian National Championship[12]
- 2017 – 14th place
- MGI (Mind Games Incorporated) Scrabble Grand Slam
- 2022 – winner[15]
- Scrabble In The Jungle Nigeria
- 2022 – winner[16]
- Lekki scrabble classic championship
- 2023 – 2nd place[17]
- Wellington Classics, Nigeria[12]
- 2017 – winner
References
edit- ^ Paquette, Danielle (2021-03-30). "He was Nigeria's biggest Scrabble star. The pandemic spelled identity crisis". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Wahlquist, Calla (9 November 2015). "Nigeria's Wellington Jighere almost lost for words after Scrabble world title triumph". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ Wang, Yanan (10 November 2015). "With the word 'felty,' for 36 points, Wellington Jighere becomes the first African world Scrabble champion". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ "Nigerian man becomes first African to win the English-Language World Scrabble Championships". The Daily Telegraph. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ Quist-Arcton, Ofeibea (27 August 2016). "And The No. 1 Scrabble Nation In The World Is ..." NPR. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ a b Quist-Arcton, Ofeibea (27 August 2016). "And The No. 1 Scrabble Nation In The World Is ..." WBUR. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Nigeria celebrates Africa's first English-language Scrabble win". BBC News. 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Babatunde, Mark (2016-08-30). "Nigerian World Scrabble Champion Denied Visa by French Embassy". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Abankula (3 December 2020). "Wellington Jighere, world scrabble champion quits over unpaid prizes". P.M. News.
- ^ "Wellington Jighere". WESPA. World English Language Scrabble® Players Association. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "SPC 2023: Finals". scrabbleplayers.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "Wellington Jighere". wespa.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Ohanusi, Chinedum. "Eta Karo crowned King of West Africa Scrabble". Radio Nigeria. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "National Champions". Nigeria Scrabble Federation. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "MGI Grand Slam Finals (2022-10-16)". WESPA.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Monye, Alex (1 September 2022). "Jighere wins maiden Scrabble In the Jungle Championship". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Monye, Alex (3 October 2023). "Enoch Nwali wins Lekki scrabble classic championship". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
External links
edit- Wellington Jighere Scrabble tournament results at cross-tables.com
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