Dubai: Ouabain and Baroque — these are the words Rohan Kapur, 13 and Kavya Prasad,15 swear by these days.
One’s a cardiac glycoside used in heart failure while the other’s a period of artistic style from 17th century Rome. But for these two ‘scrabblers’ both could fetch them bingos and fifty points and help their cause at the 8th World Youth Scrabble Championships to be held in Dubai (etisalat academy) for the first time from December 12 to 14.
Over 140 scrabblers from more than 20 countries including Australia, UK, US, Nigeria, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Gulf are taking part in the competition.
“I am really up for it even if it is at the cost of beating someone from my family,” said Mohammad Aasim of his prospective opponent and cousin sister, Armaan Arafat, both 13 and from Mumbai after a good showing in the 23rd Annual Gulf Scrabble championship held earlier this May.
All eyes though will be on Navya Zaveri and Sanchit Kapoor who are representing the UAE for the last two years. “Navya finished fourth overall in the earlier edition last year in Birmingham, England but he took the world U-16 championship. This year, since he is still 15, he can possibly do both,” said Nikhil Soneja, chairman of the UAE Scrabble Club.
“He is not only the best age group player in the UAE but also in the region,” said Soneja of the tenth grader from the Indian High School.
