A team of 5 Liberians over the next 5 days will represent Liberia at the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) Championship, which is officially starting today in Ghana.
Liberia 2025 Champion Joseph Gegeh, Jonathan Weslsey, Roland Boykai (2023 champion), Ketlee B Weah, who finished 3rd at the 2025 national event and Joseph Avery will fly our country flag in Accra, where over 250 World English Scrabblers from 47 countries have gathered.
Liberia are complete outsiders but would fancy their chances to finish their possible highest solely reliant on the experiences of Jonathan Wesley and Joseph Avery.
Joseph Gegeh is the most informed Liberian player, but in contrast like the 4 other Liberia representatives will be making their debut at the world event. He had a taste of the Early Bird 2 days ago and he’s already falling into love with the atmosphere.
Roland Boykai, who had had a good showing on Ghanaian soil after winning silver medal with Team Liberia at the last All African Games in 2024 is a glamour of hope in our lineup.
Unknown Ketlee Weah makes his first international appearance to represent his country after he got over the finish line at the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) yesterday in Accra, finishing 7th in a grouping of 46 other competitors from around the world. Important to mention that Joseph Avery secured his berth after finishing 9th in the same pool.
According to sports journalist Benjamin Gologo Garkpah, it’s an inexperienced team on all fronts at the WESPA Championshiip with the only Liberian, Malek Sherif who was at the 2017 WESPA Championship being coincidently edged by another Liberian (Ketlee Weah) in the LCQ.
Hence, expectations are high amongst the quintet of representatives even with the presence of the top world scrabblers. Last edition losing finalist Harshan Lamabadusuriya, Sri-Lankan British national is at the event also attended by the 2019 winner, New Zealander Nigel Richards, who is dubbed as the all time G.O.A.T. of the sports.
There’s no report as yet of the appearance of the 2023 winner, American David Eldar, who won the accolade on home soil beating Harshan Lamabadusuriya.
Nigeria have got the most participants (21) at the event with African Champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, who was denied visa to America last term making his debut.
National Scrabble Association of Liberia (NASAL) president Lester Dgian Morris is travelling with the team to provide leadership, while Malek V. AL Sherif; Lemuel Briso Gibson; Abraham Kollie; and Emmanuel Samuel Jallah are other Liberian players gracing the event after they narrowly missed out on qualification during the preliminary rounds yesterday.
