Over 200 of the world’s finest Scrabble players have converged on Accra for the 2025 World English-Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPAC) Championship, placing Ghana firmly in the global spotlight as the world battles for linguistic supremacy.
The six-day tournament, running from November 11 to 16, has transformed The Palms by Eagle (formerly Holiday Inn Hotel) at Airport City into a buzzing hub of competition and camaraderie.
This year’s edition marks only the second time the game’s biggest event has come to Africa, after Kenya’s successful hosting in 2017.
Adding an extra layer of excitement, Accra is also staging the maiden World Team Scrabble Championship, where national teams of five will square off for collective glory.
At an impressive launch ceremony yesterday, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, officially opened the 2025 WESPAC Championship before a high-profile audience that included National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah; the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman, Reginald Gaddy Laryea; the Scrabble Association of Ghana (GSA) chief, Haruna Adamu, Ga traditional leaders, top corporate executives, and participating players.
Mr Adams pledged the government’s full backing for Scrabble’s development, vowing to ensure the game received its “fair share of investment, visibility, and inclusion” in Ghana’s sports and recreation policy.
He further announced plans to integrate Scrabble into a national recreation and wellness programme to be rolled out across schools and communities.
Strong home representation
As hosts, Ghana boasts the largest contingent in both the Main Event and a series of uniquely branded side competitions that pay homage to local culture.
Leading the home charge is Charles Haizel Tachie-Menson, who finished eighth at the 2023 World Championship in Las Vegas.
He is joined in the Main Event by veteran Chrys Mensah Placca, Edwin Boamah, Fatawu Bayenang, Kojo Acheampong, and Stanley Ubiedi — all aiming to emulate Kenyan legend Wellington Jighere, Africa’s only world champion, who triumphed in Perth, Australia, in 2015.
In the Akwaaba (Early Bird) Challenge, Ghana is represented by Daniel Manu, Gaddy Laryea, and Tachie-Menson once again, while the Sika Gold Challenge features Elsie Bunyan, Ghana’s only female competitor in that category, alongside eight male compatriots.
