Former squash champion Theresa Camilleri managed to interrupt David Delicata’s five-year run to become the new Maltese scrabble champion. By far, this was no mean feat considering the way the title race evolved, with four players fighting it out till the very last round of the competition.

Defending champion David Delicata started very badly, but gradually gained lost ground and became a worthy contender for the title which he won in the last five years on the trot.

However, there were also Jojo Delia, Theresa Camilleri and Mario Saliba (a former champion) who never relented and kept the championship race bubbling till the very end. The final league table amply shows the balance that existed among the top four, with Theresa Camilleri finishing first on 44 points, Jojo Delia second on 42 points, David Delicata third also on 42 points and Mario Saliba fourth on 40 points.

Theresa Camilleri is the eighth player to win the National Championship. She is also the second female player to be crowned champion after Maggie Gingell Littlejohn way back in 1986 and 1988.

In the Second Division, Sammy Mangion confirmed his consistent form by placing a comfortable first, with Paul Frendo surprisingly upstaging the more seasoned campaigners, Frans Farrugia and David Zammit.

Dominic Borg dominated Third Division A, while newcomer Edward Cachia did extremely well to win Third Division B. The Once Weekly tournament was won by Pauline Cilia thanks to a better spread than Marie Louise Mifsud, after both players finished on equal points.

Anyone interested in joining the Malta Scrabble Club would be very welcome, especially beginners. They can contact the secretary, Joe Mizzi on 23685204, or 79371574. www.maltascrabble.com