Adheesha Disanayake of Gateway College Colombo has been crowned the National Scrabble Champion for 2024, securing first place in the prestigious tournament organized by the Scrabble Federation of Sri Lanka. The event, held from December 6th to 8th, was supported by Cloud Solutions International. Over fifty of the country’s top Scrabble players gathered to compete in 24 intense rounds. Adheesha dominated the competition, winning 20 out of his 24 games. His performance was so exceptional that he was officially declared the champion before the tournament even concluded.

At just 16 years old, Adheesha not only claimed the National title but also emerged undefeated at the Junior National Scrabble Championship, marking his second national title of the year. This rare achievement, holding both the National and Junior National titles, is an exceptional feat in the world of competitive Scrabble.

Adheesha’s remarkable accomplishments extend beyond national borders. Having successfully defended his Under-16 World Champion title for two consecutive years, he went on to finish as the 2nd runner-up at the World Youth Scrabble Championship 2024. Furthermore, he was crowned the Asian Youth Champion after clinching victory at the Asia Cup Youth Tournament in India earlier this year. The Gateway College Colombo Scrabble team as a whole performed impressively at the National Championship. Notably, 11-year-old Inam Irshad secured 2nd runner-up, while Ilham Irshad finished in 9th place. Both Inam and Ilham have represented Sri Lanka on multiple international platforms. Inam Irshad also holds the current World Under-12 Championship title and the Asian Under-12 Championship title, further cementing his place as a rising star in the Scrabble community.