Arthur Greene
I-Nigeria iyinhlokodolobha ehamba phambili emdlalweni we-Scrabble yomhlaba, kodwa ngesikhathi ubhubhane ludala yonke imiqhudelwano ukuba imiswe ngonyaka owedlule, umvalelo wabikezela inkathazo kubadlali abangochwepheshe bezwe.
Amaqembu ezwe angama-500 omdlalo we-Scrabble okwamanje amisiwe, kanti amalungu alo mdlalo awakwazi ngisho nokuthola umholo ngokuhlanganyela emiqhudelwaneni esezingeni eliphezulu.
Ngisho noWellington Jighere oneminyaka engama-38, osewine i-World Scrabble Championship ngowezi-2015, njengamanje una- ₦ 20,000 (ama-R770) egameni lakhe, futhi uchithe ingxenye yonyaka odlule elala egumbini lokulala lomngane wakhe.
Ekhuluma nephephandaba i-Washington Post ngesonto eledlule, uJighere uthe uphoqeleke ukuthi acabangisise ngempilo yakhe.
Uthando lwakhe lwe-Scrabble lwaqala ngesikhathi umfowabo omdala enza ibhodi le-Scrabble ngaphandle kwamakhadibhodi. Ngaleso sikhathi wayengekho noyedwa umuntu endaweni yangakubo e-Olomu, owayengamhlula.
Ngalesi sikhathi, umdlalo webhodi wawusuvele ugxilile esikweni lezwe. Kwaqala ngabo-1970, ngesikhathi abafundi basekolishi ababefunda phesheya kwezilwandle bebuya namabhodi emakhaya avela eNgilandi naseMelika.
Uthando lukaJighere – lomdlalo – aluzange luphele, kwathi ngemuva kweminyaka engamashumi amabili lo mdlali ovelele wakuleli wazithola endizela e-Australia ngowezi-2015 ukuyoncintisana nabanye ompetha bomhlaba.
Ukuhlaselwa kwakhe ubuthongo kwamfakela ingcindezi kweminye imidlalo eyedlule, ngakho-ke wazilungiselela emidlalweni yase-Australia ngokudlala i-chess amahora angama-24 engalali ngaphambi kokushintshela ku-Scrabble.
Leli cebo lakhe elingajwayelekile lamsebenzela, kanti negama elinezinhlamvu ezinhlanu, elithi “felty,” lamenza wanqoba lo mqhudelwano.
NgoZibandlela odlule, isimo sikaJighere saba sibi kakhulu kangangoba lowo owayengumpetha womhlaba wanquma ukumemezela ukusula kwakhe kulo mdlalo ku-Twitter wathi: “WELLINGTON QUITS SCRABBLE.”
Wabhala ukuthi, “Ayikho indlela yokwenza lo msebenzi, yingakho lesi sinqumo esinzima kodwa esidingekayo sokuqhubekela phambili manje sikhombisa ukuthi ngisenesikhathi ngasohlangothini lwami.”
Kusukela lapho ubezama, ngaphandle kwempumelelo, ukuthola umsebenzi ojwayelekile.
Kepha ekuqaleni kwale nyanga, uthole umbhalo ovela kumqeqeshi wakhe we-Scrabble. I-National Sports Festival isihlelelwe ngokusemthethweni ukudlalwa ngo-Mbasa.
Akukacaci ukuthi lo mqhudelwano ngabe uzoqhubeka yini noma uJighere uzoncintisana kuwo uma kwenzeka.