Young Scrabble players look for M-O-N-E-Y

Scrabble whizzes are virtually ignored in Pakistan.


Saba Imtiaz October 25, 2012

KARACHI:


Eight young Pakistani players planning to participate in the World Youth Scrabble Championship have yet to get funding to be able to travel to the global competition.


The under-18 players need at least Rs180,000 each to be able to travel to Birmingham, England for the 7th World Youth Scrabble Championship this December.

Pakistan Scrabble Association Youth Programme Director Tariq Pervez said, “We had a decent performance in the fifth and sixth championships and we’re expecting a better performance this year.”

“The current team is our strongest unit so far which has been training very hard for the last one year. Most of the players have already played in previous World Youth Scrabble championships and have gained enough experience and confidence. In July this year, Pakistan Scrabble Association invited Australia’s No 1 player Alastair Richards, who held extensive training sessions with the team.Alastair believes that the current Pakistan team is one of the strongest teams at the 2012 World Youth Scrabble Championship,” Pervez said in an e-mail.

“Unfortunately the cost of travel and living in England is very high and it seems that some of the players may not be able to make it to the World Youth Scrabble Championship due to the lack of resources. Pakistan’s No 1 youth player Shahzaib Khatri has already dropped out due to this very reason which is a severe blow to the team.”

Pervez said they had roughly estimated Rs180,000 per participant for flight costs to the UK. According to the World Youth Scrabble Championship’s website, Pakistan can enroll eight participants for free under the allocated quota.

Pakistan’s team for the 2012 competition comprises Javeria Arshad Mirza, Moizullah Baig, Muhammad Jahanzaib Khan, Muhammad Inshal Shahbaz, Mariam Arif, Javeria Salman, Yash Gandhi and Arham Abidi.

Javeria Arshad Mirza was 14 years old when she came 13th in the 2011 championship. A student at Karachi Grammar School, Javeria has been part of the international team for two years.

The championship, she said, “is amazing.”

“It has kids and people from all over the world, you meet them, play with them and become friends. It’s the best experience,” she told The Express Tribune.

“I first started playing Scrabble when I was 5 or 6, with my sister.” Javeria’s sister, Raiha Mirza, was a national champion in 1994. “I used to say ‘aapa plays it so I want to as well’,” she said. “She’s the reason I started playing.”

While cricket players in Pakistan are the centre of attention and get a considerable degree of funding and laurels, Scrabble whizzes are virtually ignored. Javeria agrees. “Pakistan is facing so many horrible things and its international reputation … our team is a bunch of kids and we’re telling people about Pakistan and that this country has bright kids. We’re doing so much and we should get more than cricket players. It feels bad, we’re all just 15 or 16 and if big companies sponsor us then we will get encouraged and can do better.”

Pervez said they have been in touch with some companies for sponsoring the team and the Pakistan Scrabble Association is planning to kick off a fundraising drive on November 3 with a press conference. The event is set to take place from December 7 to December 9, and the team is hoping to leave for the UK by December 5.

Pakistan ranked fifth last year, coming up three places from 2010. In 2010, Pakistani player Shahroz Zamir Ansari won the ‘High Game’ prize.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2012.

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