BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, will today host members of the victorious Flying Eagles squad and the Scrabble Team that came tops at the just concluded West African Championships in Abuja.
In Friday’s final of the WAFU B U-20 competition in Niamey, Niger Republic, the Flying Eagles trounced Benin Republic 3-1, while the Nigeria Scrabble team swept the stakes at the West African championships in Accra, Ghana.
The Minister who spoke to both teams shortly after their victories in Niamey and Accra respectively, hailed them for making the country proud.
Nigeria’s Eta Karo was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Accra, as the Nigerian team claimed the top nine spots and was named the best country in the tourney.
President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Toke Aka, expressed delight with the Minister for his support prior to the competition and assured that his organisation would work to keep Nigeria’s position as a global leader in Scrabble.
The Minister also expressed his joy with the Flying Eagles’ performance and for regaining the nation’s pride in age grade competitions during his conversation with the Flying Eagles following their triumph.
He urged them to focus on the bigger picture, which is qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023.
The Flying Eagles defeated incumbent African Champions Ghana 2-0, tied 2-2 with Burkina Faso, and edged out Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 after extra time in the semi-finals before defeating Benin Republic 3-1 to lift the 2022 WAFU B Championship.
