KUCHING: The Sarawak Open Scrabble Championship 2025 concluded successfully on Sunday, bringing together 120 participants from across Malaysia for two days of competitive play and intellectual engagement.
Organised by the Elite Scrabble Club Kuching and hosted at SJK Chung Hua No. 2, the event celebrated the spirit of competition as well as the power of language and lifelong learning.
Participants travelled from across Sarawak — including Kuching, Padawan, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, and Simunjan — as well as from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Sabah, making the championship a truly national-level event.
In a standout moment, 78-year-old Mohd Ali Ismail from Petaling Jaya defied age expectations by emerging as the champion in the Open category, proving that intellectual sports have no age limit.
His inspiring victory was a highlight of the competition and a powerful reminder that learning and excellence can continue at any age.
In his closing speech, Vince Wong Yii Hui, President of the Elite Scrabble Club, emphasised the importance of language learning and praised Scrabble’s role in nurturing critical thinking skills among young people.
“We are committed to fostering young minds through Scrabble and helping them unlock their full potential,” he said.
The event was further graced by the newly appointed advisor of the Elite Scrabble Club, Datuk Jonathan Chai Voon Tok, who delivered an inspiring address during the closing ceremony.
He highlighted Scrabble as a meaningful tool for educational development and a platform that encourages lifelong learning.
The championship saw fierce competition across the Primary, Secondary, and Open categories.
In the Primary category, Grayson Ling Dao Xu of SJK (C) Wah Man, Sarikei, claimed the top spot, taking home a RM300 cash prize and the champion’s trophy, presented by the club’s patron, May Loo Hun Ing.
In the Secondary category, Delbert Tiong Guo-Yi of Catholic High School, Sibu, emerged victorious, while the ever-impressive Mohd Ali Ismail triumphed in the Open category.
The successful event was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, and the tireless efforts of Loo, who remains a driving force behind the Elite Scrabble Club’s mission to promote language excellence.
