Wale Jagun
-Tournament records upset as top rated young player placed third
There was an upset yesterday, at the ongoing IKODASS Indoor Games Youth Championship as the third best U -15 player in the state and number one Scrabble player in Ikorodu Division settled for the third position in the male category, while Soaga Mayowa emerged champion of the Scrabble game with 4 (plus 617) points.
The event, which held at the Dreamland RHODA Youth Centre, Abiodun Ogunleye Street, Solomade, Ikorodu, also saw Miss Adisa Emmanuella with 2 (- 256) winning the female category of the Scrabble game with 2 (-256) points.
Giwa Oluwaseyi, who scored 4 (plus 566) points, and Ogbonna Michael with 4 (plus 468) points took second and third positions respectively.
In the female category, Miss Peju – Akinyemi Goodness emerged second with 1 (-395) point.
In the Chess competition, Master Afolabi Emmanuel, who is a top rated young player with the Chess in the Slum Initiative, won the male category with 6 points while Sunday Chinonso Mary won the female category with 5 points.
Victor Nwankwo and Jamiu Ninilowo emerged second and third with 6 points and 5 1/2 points in the male category respectively, while Ogbonna Confidence and Everest Joy scored 4 points and 3 points respectively to emerge first and second runners-up in the female category.
While congratulating the winners, the IKODASS Chairman, Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, also described all the participants as champions.
He commended participants for staging good games and assured them that IKODASS will continue to give them a platform to thrive in their games.
“I salute all the participants and everybody involved in ensuring that we have great beginning to our indoor games championship” Erogbogbo said.
“The game is not all about winning but participation is equally key and that makes you all winners.
“We are going to provide training for you before the next championship while Chess and Snooker games have come to stay in Ikorodu.
“Gone are the days when Ikorodu is known for negative stories.
“We will take chess and other games to the next level”, he assured participants, parents and coaches.
He also announced that the prize money has not changed.
“The prize money has not changed. We still have N50, 000 for the star prize, N30, 000 and 20, 000 for second and third placed players respectively”, he announced.
Alhaji Luqman Sonibare, the IKODASS LOC Chairman, appreciated participants for exhibiting great games in the two tournaments on Day One and urged the participants to attend the grand finale and presentation of prize money, certificates and other gift items.
“I commend you all for playing great games today. The games are really beautiful and I thank you for displaying that.
“The game continues tomorrow (today) and Thursday is the final game and also the grand finale where prize money, as stated by the chairman, will be presented. Also, we are going to present certificates of participation and other gift items to all the participants”, he said.
“Ensure that you are all in attendance on Thursday at the Ikorodu town hall”.
Meanwhile, organizers of the championship have announced that the table tennis game and the grand finale ceremony where the first three winners in all the games will going to be presented with their prize money and certificates of participation and other gift items for all participants, originally scheduled for the Ita – Elewa Youth/Sports Centre will now hold at the Ikorodu Town hall.
The Table Tennis game is scheduled for 9.00am while the grand finale and presentation of prize money and medals are slated for 2.00pm on the same day.
