Scrabble Championship: Two Pakistanis sneak into top-10
Final leg to be played today, officials hope for good finish in youth event.
KARACHI:
Pakistan’s Minhajuddin and Jahanzaib Khan were placed in the top-10 after 18 rounds of the World Youth Scrabble Championship 2011 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Represented by 11 players, Pakistan had a slow start to the event but four players managed to finish the round in the top 25 out of the 84 taking part. Minhaj sits on ninth with 294 points after beating compatriot and national junior champion Shahzaib Khatri 443-388 in round 18, while Khan outplayed Singapore’s Eden Choo 459-407.
Meanwhile, Javeria Mirza defeated UK’s Shrinidhi Prakash 425-322 to stay 23rd, whereas Khatri remained 24th. Among others, Yash Gandhi is 32nd with 92 points while Javeria Salman is four places behind him.
The players will begin the last leg of the three-day competition today with everyone playing 24 games each.
“Our players are doing very well, way better than expected,” Pakistan Scrabble Association Vice-President Javaid Iqbal told The Express Tribune. “We’re hoping that they continue this show and end the tournament with Pakistan placed in the top-10.
“We did it last year and we expect the same this time too. It’s amazing that our players are competing against each other in the top-10. It’s encouraging and shows that Pakistani children have the skills and potential to compete against the best in the world.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2011.
Pakistan’s Minhajuddin and Jahanzaib Khan were placed in the top-10 after 18 rounds of the World Youth Scrabble Championship 2011 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Represented by 11 players, Pakistan had a slow start to the event but four players managed to finish the round in the top 25 out of the 84 taking part. Minhaj sits on ninth with 294 points after beating compatriot and national junior champion Shahzaib Khatri 443-388 in round 18, while Khan outplayed Singapore’s Eden Choo 459-407.
Meanwhile, Javeria Mirza defeated UK’s Shrinidhi Prakash 425-322 to stay 23rd, whereas Khatri remained 24th. Among others, Yash Gandhi is 32nd with 92 points while Javeria Salman is four places behind him.
The players will begin the last leg of the three-day competition today with everyone playing 24 games each.
“Our players are doing very well, way better than expected,” Pakistan Scrabble Association Vice-President Javaid Iqbal told The Express Tribune. “We’re hoping that they continue this show and end the tournament with Pakistan placed in the top-10.
“We did it last year and we expect the same this time too. It’s amazing that our players are competing against each other in the top-10. It’s encouraging and shows that Pakistani children have the skills and potential to compete against the best in the world.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2011.