Video: Day one of the Scrabble World Championships in Nottingham
The fourth annual Scrabble world championships have got underway at Nottingham Trent University with 30 different countries represented.
People from all backgrounds and ages, from nine to 70-years-old, have come to the university to battle it out to be crowned Scrabble world champion.
England’s own Russell Byers is competing for the prize and hopes he can keep the trophy in Nottingham.
He said: “I’ve got a slim chance of winning it – I have to be realistic about that.
“I’m ranked number 15 in the tournament and it would be good for Nottingham if we could keep it here.”
A large number of the competitors are from Pakistan because the game is used in the country as a tool to learn English.
Team leader of Team Pakistan Tariq Pervez said: “The kids are intelligent, they are geniuses and they are enthusiastic about the game.
“They love his game so they work hard to try to improve and it’s a combination of having both.
“It’s a lovely game and the kids love it – in our country and culture, parents want their children to learn and study and Scrabble is a fun way to do that.”
