KARACHI: Pakistan's 15-year old Syed Imaad Ali became the world youth scrabble champion by winning 9 of his 13 games in the final round of 2nd online Pharmevo WESPA Youth Cup on Sunday while the 10-year old, Madhav Gopal Kamath of India, remained the runner-up who became the first Indian to finish amongst the top three in any scrabble championship.
Syed Imaad Ali has won this youth title for the second time, and historically became the only player to have achieved this feat, organizers of the Pharmevo WESPA Youth Cup said, adding that around 80 players from 14 countries of the five continents participated in the second online youth scrabble championship.
India's Gopal Kamath of India too won 9 of his 13 games but marginally lost out on the spread, and therefore, finished second while the third spot was won by Napat Vatjanurathorn of Thailand who was the best player of the last edition of the team event youth tournament played earlier this year. Napat won 8 of his 13 games.
Pakistan's Hasham Hadi Khan clinched the fourth spot by winning 7 of his 13 games and is the only Pakistani player to have finished in the top 10. Pakistan also won the team prize, and this is the third time Pakistan won this title.
President of Pakistan Scrabble Association and the owner of PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators, Nadeem Omar who distributed prizes amongst the winners, congratulated the leading players and called for introducing and promoting sports at school level to produce world champions.
"Pakistan is performing extraordinarily in scrabble because this is no involvement of the government in it. Sports have wiped out from the schools in Pakistan and it is the only reasons for Pakistan's debacle in the field of sports and athletics", he said and added that by successfully holding the world online youth scrabble championship, Pakistan proved that it has both talented youth and the technology to become champions.
Blaming the government involvement for Pakistan's return empty handed from the Tokyo Olympics, he said there is a need to end the government's involvement in sports and athletics and hoped that Pakistan's achievement in the field of mind sports would also inspire players and officials in the areas of physical games and sports.
Congratulating the Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) for its role in promotion of scrabble and taking to hundreds of schools in the country, Nadeem Omar announced Rs. One hundred thousand reward for the online youth scrabble champion Syed Imaad Ali and hoped that he would also clinched the title of world scrabble champion.
Announcing that Sarfraz Ahmed to remain skipper of his team Quetta Gladiators' till he is able to play, Nadeem Omar said he helped Pakistan won the udner-19 and champions' trophy and added that he still has a lot of cricket left to play.
"Sarfraz should also be in the national team where an experienced wicket keeper batsman like him is needed", he added.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony, Managing Director of the Pharmevo limited which sponsored the event along with Shield Corporation, said their dream to create a healthy society is slowly becoming true as Pakistani youth is emerging as champions and added that they would continue to support healthy mental and physical sporting activities in the country.
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