Nigerian Scrabble administrator and Vice President of the Lekki Scrabble Club, Charles Uzamere, has lauded renowned tournament organiser, Michael Tang, for redefining global Scrabble competition following Nigeria’s impressive performance at the 2026 Causeway Scrabble Challenge in Bangkok, Thailand.

Uzamere’s commendation came as Nigerian players emerged as standout performers at the prestigious international tournament, with Hakeem Olaribigbe finishing second in the elite Premier Division and Olachi Mbonu clinching the Division Three title against a strong field of competitors from around the world.

Uzamere himself secured a top-10 finish in Division Two after battling through 36 rounds of competition.
The performances reinforced Nigeria’s growing status as a global force in Scrabble and highlighted the depth of talent within the country’s mind sports community.

Reflecting on the championship, Uzamere said the atmosphere created by Tang, popularly known as “The Alchemist,” transformed the event from a traditional tournament into a world-class sporting spectacle.
“Walking into the main playing hall at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, I noticed a clear change in how the event felt. It was less like a quiet gathering and more like a premier international sporting event,” Uzamere said.

Olaribigbe’s runner-up finish in the Premier Division was one of Nigeria’s biggest achievements at the championship, as he battled through an elite field comprising some of the world’s best players.
Mbonu also delivered a remarkable performance, overcoming a large international lineup to emerge champion in Division Three.

The Bangkok tournament marked Tang’s return to elite Scrabble administration after stepping away from the game in 2016 to focus on his family and health.

Since founding the Causeway Scrabble Challenge in 2002 as a contest between players from Malaysia and Singapore, Tang has grown the competition into one of the most respected events on the international Scrabble calendar.

His latest effort raised the bar even higher. Tang reserved all 270 rooms at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel for participants, deployed 10 independent production teams to broadcast live top matches, and introduced advanced digital tile-tracking technology for global audiences.

He also partnered with the Woogles team to engage 47 Thai students in documenting games in real time, resulting in more than 1,800 annotated games from the 36-round competition.

Uzamere described the organisational feat as a model for future mind sports events.
“In business, we talk a lot about organisational excellence. Michael Tang showed exactly how to execute a plan, turning a quiet tile game into a professional broadcast asset,” he said.

While Australian star David Eldar emerged overall champion of the Causeway Scrabble Challenge, Nigeria’s impressive showing ensured the country remained among the biggest winners of the tournament, further cementing its reputation as one of the leading powers in world Scrabble.