IIT-M student wins Scrabble tournament

CHENNAI: IIT-Madras’s Joel Sathiaraj won the Alfred Butts Intercollegiate Scrabble tournament organised by the American Center, US Consulate General Chennai, in association with the Queen Mary’s College recently.

Jebrish T and Anindita S Raju from the Presidency College finished second and third respectively. As many as 108 players from 33 city colleges competed in the tournament.

While the preliminary rounds took place at the Queen Mary’s College, the finale was hosted at the American Center. The State Director of Collegiate Education G Geetha inaugurated the tournament.

Scrabble Grandmaster Ranganatha Chakravarthy was the tournament director.

The Consulate General Chennai’s spokesperson and diplomat Samantha Jackson said, “We’re thrilled to see the enthusiasm and passion displayed by the Scrabble community in Chennai. Words bring nations, societies, and cultures together. The American Center aims to promote education, intellectual engagement, and cultural exchange via such events.”

Queen Mary’s College Principal B Uma Maheswari said that the college wants to embrace Scrabble as a transformative tool to empower marginalised women. “With Grandmaster Chakravarthy’s guidance, the Scrabble Literacy Program equips 5,000 students with communication skills, fostering their academic journey,” she added. “The tournament hones the linguistic prowess of students and enables a spirit of healthy competition.”