ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hammad Hadi Khan clinched the title of the 29th Princess Cup Youth Scrabble Tournament beating his teammate and 2013 world youth scrabble champion Moizullah Baig in Bangkok, Thailand the other day. Moiz led the tournament throughout but the 19-year-old Hammad defeated him in the final to register a surprise win. At the end of the 18th round of the tournament, the Pakistan players were at the top two positions and also qualified for the best-of-three final. Hammad took away the title from Moiz winning 490-404 and 494-428 to bag $3,000 as the winner of the event. Singapore’s Yong Jianrong finished third in an event where 10 Pakistan players were participating for the first time.
According to the Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) director youth programme Tariq Pervez, usually around this time of the year, national players are busy in exams therefore they never competed in the tournament before. The Princess Cup is an Under-21 tournament, while the Pakistan team will be leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the WESPA World Youth Scrabble Championship that has also began on Monday. “I’m elated with the performance,” Pervez said. “Pakistan participated at the Princess Cup for the first time and we took the top two positions. We can achieve more if we get sponsorships. Both Moiz and Hammad are very excited and grateful too.”
Published in Daily Times, November 28th 2017.