World scrabble’s biggest event: Khatri among top 15 at King’s Cup

Debutant Sanaullah, 2015 WYSC runner-up Abbasi also impress in Thailand.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top player Waseem Khatri finished among the top 15 at the King’s Cup in Thailand, the world’s biggest scrabble competition, while teenagers Daniyal Sanaullah and Abdullah Abbasi managed major upsets at the event.

The King’s Cup features more than 6,000 players, while in the international division, 75 global top players compete for the title.

The Pakistan Scrabble Association has participated twice at the King’s Cup previously and youth director Tariq Pervez feels this year’s performance was their best.

“We have performed outstandingly,” Pervez told The Express Tribune. “We expected Khatri to finish in the top 20, but Daniyal and Abdullah made their mark also. It is our best performance.”

Abdullah, the 2015 World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) runner-up, managed to improve his world ranking to become the highest-rated youth player before the WYSC this year, which will take place in August. His 12 out of 14 wins came against players rated higher than him.

Daniyal, on the other hand, caused the biggest upset of the tournament when he defeated Thai player Taewan Sutthasin, who had an international rating of 1,845 points compared to Daniyal’s 715.

Another teenager, Absar Mustajab, collected 222 rating points to become the second-highest rated youth player in Pakistan.

World Champion Nigel Richards, meanwhile, won the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.