Scrabble: Moizullah Baig crowned WYSC champion

Debuntant finishes top in international scrabble event.

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s Moizullah Baig clinched the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) 2013 title in Dubai on Saturday.

The 16-year-old won the championship with 19 wins out of 24 games with a spread of 1448. He lost only four games in the 24-round competition, and drew one against his teammate Mohammad Inshal in the 20th round on Saturday.

He defeated England’s Jack Durand 502-376 and US player Tim Bryant 427-388 in the 22nd and 23rd round to consolidate his place at the top among 136 players.

Meanwhile, Javeria Mirza complemented Moiz with her second position in the three-day tournament. She won 18 games with a spread of 1725.

World Youth #Scrabble Championship result: In 2nd position we have Javeria Arshad Mirza from #Pakistan. #WYSC #Dubai pic.twitter.com/dytGMVw4X7

— Gulf Scrabble (@gulfscrabble) December 14, 2013

“It’s incredible. This is the pinnacle for us,” the Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) vice president Tariq Pervez told The Express Tribune. “We’ve produced a world champion in just three years.”

“I’m speechless. It’s amazing how the Pakistani youth have made their mark here. We dominated the championship from day one, and players from other countries feared our participants. This is the result of relentless practice.”

Pakistan also finished the event as the top team among 17 countries.

“I hope our win will improve Pakistan’s image now,” said Moiz.

“I can’t believe that I’ve won the title because this was a very tough competition.

“One needs to have excellent vocabulary and also a good strategy for each game. All of us in the team are just overwhelmed by this victory.”

Four other Pakistan players also finished among the top 20 in the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2013.

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