Wellington Jighere | |
---|---|
Born |
c. 1982 (age 41–42)
Umolo-Olomu,
Delta State, Nigeria |
Other names | "The Cat in the Hat" |
Occupation | Scrabble player |
Years active | 2002–present |
Known for | Scrabble World Champion (2015) |
Wellington Jighere (born c. 1982 [1]) is a Nigerian Scrabble player. He won the World Scrabble Championship 2015, the first win for an African nation. [2] He defeated Lewis MacKay in four straight wins. [3] [4]
Jighere is nicknamed " The Cat in the Hat" for his quiet personality and fondness for hats. [5]
Jighere began playing Scrabble tournaments in 2002, after winning games versus friends in the tournament scene. [6] He was the winner of the 2015 Scrabble World Championship, the first win for an African nation. [7] After winning, he received a congratulatory phone call from president Muhammadu Buhari. [6]
He intended to appear in the World Scrabble Championship 2016, but the French government denied his passport, along with every other member of the Nigerian Scrabble team. [8]
In 2020, he announced his retirement from tournament Scrabble, due to not being paid prize money. [9] He unretired in 2023, making an appearance in the year's World Scrabble Championship.
Wellington Jighere | |
---|---|
Born |
c. 1982 (age 41–42)
Umolo-Olomu,
Delta State, Nigeria |
Other names | "The Cat in the Hat" |
Occupation | Scrabble player |
Years active | 2002–present |
Known for | Scrabble World Champion (2015) |
Wellington Jighere (born c. 1982 [1]) is a Nigerian Scrabble player. He won the World Scrabble Championship 2015, the first win for an African nation. [2] He defeated Lewis MacKay in four straight wins. [3] [4]
Jighere is nicknamed " The Cat in the Hat" for his quiet personality and fondness for hats. [5]
Jighere began playing Scrabble tournaments in 2002, after winning games versus friends in the tournament scene. [6] He was the winner of the 2015 Scrabble World Championship, the first win for an African nation. [7] After winning, he received a congratulatory phone call from president Muhammadu Buhari. [6]
He intended to appear in the World Scrabble Championship 2016, but the French government denied his passport, along with every other member of the Nigerian Scrabble team. [8]
In 2020, he announced his retirement from tournament Scrabble, due to not being paid prize money. [9] He unretired in 2023, making an appearance in the year's World Scrabble Championship.