PETALING JAYA, Feb 1 — A group of Malaysian teenagers did not let the Covid-19 pandemic stop them from showing off their Scrabble skills in a global competition recently.

Tengku Ariff Shah Tengku Shahrir (16), Jareth Mah Zhen Seong (15), Eirfan Razman (14), Kyan Teo Ching-Wei (14), Ali Imran Hisham Talib (13), Anna Natasha Mohd Khairil (14), Ariana Onyinyechukwu Daniel (13), and Dresden Lim Zhan Le (12) represented Team Malaysia in hard-fought battles from home at the Gladiators Wespa Youth Cup 2021, which kicked off on January 22.

The team bested the United States and Nepal to make it to the quarter-finals and placed fifth overall in the championship after a narrow loss to India (17-18) yesterday.

The event was organised by the World English-language Scrabble Players Association (Wespa) and it was the organisation’s first virtual competition due to Covid-19 travel restrictions and safety protocols prohibiting face-to-face sporting activities.

Each player had to follow a unique set of rules in the online competition, such as sharing their computer screens and setting up a side-view camera for the technical team to monitor their performances. 

Players were required to set up a side-view camera so the technical team could monitor their performance remotely. — Picture courtesy of Jareth Mah Zhen Seong

Eirfan said it was a challenge to adjust to the new rules but he cherished the opportunity to continue competing alongside his teammates despite the pandemic.

"Playing this event online under strict monitoring was a new and very different experience for me. 

"It was challenging but at the same time, it was great that we could compete from the comfort of our own homes during the pandemic. 

"However, I do miss being able to interact with other players in person,” said Eirfan in a press release.

The young wordsmith added that he was grateful for the support of his teammates, coaches, and parents throughout the competition.

Losing to India by a small margin did not dampen Eirfan’s spirits and he was ecstatic at the chance to compete with talented Scrabble players from around the world.

Team Malaysia put up a good fight and won a total of 85.5 games in the competition. — Picture courtesy of Ali Imran Hisham Talib

Malaysia Scrabble Association president Mohammad Ali Ismail gave kudos to the teenagers for holding their own against India in the nail-biting quarterfinal as well.

"We knew that Team India would be formidable but hoped to upstage them although we knew it would be tough for our young Team Malaysia players. 

"All in all, it was a very good and challenging match that could have gone either way,” Mohammad Ali.

Team Malaysia got off to a promising start in the Group C qualifying rounds on January 23 and 24, beating the United States 18.5-17.5 and defeating Nepal with a landslide win of 34-2.

The players lost to Sri Lanka 16-20 but finished second in Group C with 68.5 wins while Sri Lanka topped the table at 69.5 wins, earning both teams a spot in the quarterfinals.

Team Malaysia also boasted a winning rate of 59.4 per cent after winning a total of 85.5 games out of 144 games played over both competition weekends.

The Gladiators Wespa Youth Cup 2021 has attracted 96 participants aged 18 and below from 16 countries and five continents to battle it out in online competitions held every weekend.

The championship is slated to wrap up on February 7.