On 6 February 2016, 2 days before the Lunar New Year, Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen) organised the 7th Ho Lap College Invitational Scrabble Championship, an individual-based tournament for primary and secondary schools. A total of 60 students from 10 schools participated in this HKSPA-rated tournament. Another 10 players played in the Open Category (for teachers and alumni) alongside the school games. HKSPA provided technical support for the tournament.
Group photo after the tournament
Before we look into this school year’s competition, let’s see the past winners of this historical tournament……
| School Year | Category | Champion | 1st Runner-up | 2nd Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-2010 | / | CCC Mong Man Wai College | Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen) | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School (including Classic) |
| 2010-2011 | / | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School (including Classic) | CCC Mong Man Wai College | Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen) |
| 2011-2012 | Junior | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School | St. Mark’s School | CCC Mong Man Wai College |
| Senior | Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen) | St. Michael’s Classic | Cheung Chuk Shan College | |
| 2012-2013 | Junior | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School | STFA Leung Kau Kui College | CCC Mong Man Wai College |
| Senior | Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen) | St. Michael’s Classic | St. Mark’s School | |
| 2013-2014 | Junior | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School | STFA Leung Kau Kui College | CCC Mong Man Wai College |
| Senior | St. Michael’s Classic | CCC Mong Man Wai College | HKMA K S Lo College | |
| 2014-2015 | Junior | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School | Methodist College | CCC Mong Man Wai College |
| Senior | St. Michael’s Classic | CCC Mong Man Wai College | St. Mark’s School |
Note: St. Michael’s Classic is the specially-permitted alumni team from S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School.
S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School and its alumni team got the most Champions in this tournament’s history. Can any school challenge them this year?
Back to this school year’s competition, the school games are divided into two Categories, namely the Junior Category (for primary and junior secondary students) and the Senior Category (for senior secondary students). Younger students are allowed to challenge themselves by joining the Senior Category. Australian Swiss Draw is adopted, with players from the same school not being able to face each other in the first 3 rounds. The final school ranking is calculated by School Points, a number derived from the multiple of the top three players’ ranks plus one.
Tsang Wai Yin Jason from HKMA K S Lo College playing
After 5 rounds of competition, S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School was again the Champion of the Junior Category.
Students from S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School receiving the Junior Champion trophy and plague
For the Senior Category, CCC Mong Man Wai College, with 4 Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2015 members, got the Champion.
Students from CCC Mong Man Wai College receiving the Senior Champion trophy and plague
Please see the table below for the full list of winners:
| Junior Category | Senior Category | |
|---|---|---|
| School Champion | S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School | CCC Mong Man Wai College |
| School 1st Runner-up | CCC Mong Man Wai College | HKMA K S Lo College |
| School 2nd Runner-up | Methodist College | St. Michael’s Classic |
| Individual Champion | Wesley Choy Wing Chi (Queen’s College, Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2015) | Ho Chun Hung (CCC Mong Man Wai College, Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2015) |
| Individual 1st Runner-up | Arnold, Ke Yan Nok (S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School) | Tsang Wai Yin Jason (HKMA K S Lo College, Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2015) |
| Individual 2nd Runner-up | Chung Cheuk Hang (CCC Mong Man Wai College) | Lam Chi Ho Anson (CCC Mong Man Wai College, Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2015) |
| Highest Word of the Day | 114 points (MILKERS/MAX) Yu Sin Yi (HKMA K S Lo College) |
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| Highest Game of the Day | 557 points Arnold, Ke Yan Nok (S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School) |
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For the Open Category, Johnson Tsang (alumnus of S.K.H. St. Michael’s Primary School and Queen’s College, the Hong Kong Representative for WESPAC 2015) was the Champion, while Euclid Hui (alumnus of St. Michael’s Primary School and St. Paul’s Co-educational College) got the 1st Runner-up. Wong Chun Lok, Ryan (alumnus of Ho Lap College (Sponsored by the Sik Sik Yuen)) got the 2nd Runner-up.
Champion of the Open Category, Johnson Tsang, playing
This is the last tournament in the Year of Goat. The first tournament in the Year of Monkey will be on 10 February at the Trafalgar’s Brewing Company. We hope to see you there!
Photo credit: Ken Kum, Teacher of HKMA K S Lo College