Adheesha Dissanayake of Gateway College emerged the winner of the Group Stage of the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WESPA Youth Cup) 2022 concluded last weekend. Adheesha dominated from the start and ended up with 28 wins out of a possible 36. That was 1.5 wins clear of his nearest rival, compatriot Sandali Withanage of Musaeus College who ended up with 26 wins and a tie. Hasham Hadi Khan from Pakistan emerged 3rd with 26 wins. 86 players from UK, Australia, USA, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, India,, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated.
The splendid performances of Adheesha and Sandali, well supported by Hivin Dilmith from Mahinda College ensured that Sri Lanka emerged victorious as the Best National Team with a combined score of 76.5 wins – .3.5 wins clear of their nearest rivals Pakistan with 73 wins. India came in 3rd with 70 wins. This is the 4th time Sri Lanka has emerged as the Best National Team. Adheesha’s sister Radinka was part of the team that won a hattrick achieved from 2015-2017. Sri Lanka became 1st runner-up to Pakistan in 2018 and 1st runner-up to Thailand in 2019.
Adheesha who commenced his World Youth scrabble journey in 2017 in Subang, Malaysia where he clinched the World Under 10 title also won the High Game Award in 2018 in Dubai, UAE. In 2021 Adheesha narrowly missed making the final 10 and had to be content with the 11th position in the Group stages. Adheesha’s performance this year has seen him clinch the World Under 16 title as well.
Sandali who played her first WESPA Youth Cup in 2018 has the unique achievement of being the only female player to qualify for the finals this year. Even last year Sandali was the only female player in the finals and emerged 5th amidst tough competition.
Interestingly the defending champion Syed Imaad Ali suffered three defeats at the hands of Adheesha and Sandali and was unfortunate to miss out on the finals. Fourteen more grueling rounds of Scrabble awaits the finalists this weekend. The world youth champion title has previously been won by Sri Lanka’s Aabid Ismail in 2018 and Janul de Silva has been runner up on three occasions.
Kavindu Mallawaarachchi (Royal College), Nonithma Dharmadasa (Sacred Heart Convent, Galle), Archana Padumadasa (Elizabeth Moir School), Vinith Bawantha (Mahinda College), Thulnith de Silva (Richmond College), Ilham Irshad (Gateway College) and Sandanidu Batheegama (Richmond College) were the others to represent Sri Lanka at this year’s Championship.
