Thailand - Don't forget WEERA, ATIRUTH, NAWAPADOL, PICHAI, and your Thai clone, AKKARAPOL, to name a few more. It's also crazy that almost all of them live in the same metro area, too (Only Pakorn and Jakkrit live further away). Gotta be the strongest Scrabble city in the world (sorry Bay Area 2012). Part of why they don't do so well at Worlds is because many of them play TWL most of the year - they face the same struggle as the US, except they don't speak much English either (so take that whiners).
Philippines - If I see Mark Navarra in Manila, I'm gonna try to get him to register for Worlds, or at least King's Cup - he's beaten me a few times on WWF, and routinely crushed me in SWF last year, and the only handicap he gets is void challenge. How'd you find out about Teodoro?
Malaysia - Ganesh is coming back eventually, which would make it that much tougher when he does. And from what Cedric has told me, Malaysian Scrabble is going to be changing quite a bit in the next couple of years - I'd expect to see him improve
( ... )
The youth scrabble factor is pretty interesting. I wonder if Pakistan might wind up sending Javiera (probably the best female youth player out there right now). Given how many youth players are coming out of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia right now, it's hard not to imagine that players from those countries will be contending for world 10-20 years down the line.
Commenting on a few names you mentioned... Goutham is pretty good, but in my view he had a fortunate streak on the first couple of days of King's Cup (he faded towards the end IIRC) Shanker was a young buck when I played my last UK tournament before emigrating, at Easter 2002. He impressed me in a tight game in which he wielded beauties like PITHOI, and I think I won by three. Great to see him back competing again. Wellington, according to a recent Facebook post, is about to reenter the fray. Agree about Thailand. I guess they will pick up some extras eventually.
Thanks for the comments Ricky! Look forward to seeing you there too - my knowledge is limited but I'm always glad to learn more about the wider world of Scrabble.
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Thailand - Don't forget WEERA, ATIRUTH, NAWAPADOL, PICHAI, and your Thai clone, AKKARAPOL, to name a few more. It's also crazy that almost all of them live in the same metro area, too (Only Pakorn and Jakkrit live further away). Gotta be the strongest Scrabble city in the world (sorry Bay Area 2012). Part of why they don't do so well at Worlds is because many of them play TWL most of the year - they face the same struggle as the US, except they don't speak much English either (so take that whiners).
Philippines - If I see Mark Navarra in Manila, I'm gonna try to get him to register for Worlds, or at least King's Cup - he's beaten me a few times on WWF, and routinely crushed me in SWF last year, and the only handicap he gets is void challenge. How'd you find out about Teodoro?
Malaysia - Ganesh is coming back eventually, which would make it that much tougher when he does. And from what Cedric has told me, Malaysian Scrabble is going to be changing quite a bit in the next couple of years - I'd expect to see him improve ( ... )
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Goutham is pretty good, but in my view he had a fortunate streak on the first couple of days of King's Cup (he faded towards the end IIRC)
Shanker was a young buck when I played my last UK tournament before emigrating, at Easter 2002. He impressed me in a tight game in which he wielded beauties like PITHOI, and I think I won by three. Great to see him back competing again.
Wellington, according to a recent Facebook post, is about to reenter the fray.
Agree about Thailand. I guess they will pick up some extras eventually.
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