(Unila): Muhammad Fathi Maulana, a student from the Bachelor of Accounting program at Lampung University (Unila), class of 2024, has achieved first place in the INASA Word Clash University Edition competition. Previously, Fathi also excelled in Scrabble, securing 7th place nationally at The 2nd Tiles Battles Indonesia Australia Scrabble (INASA) and 3rd place in Division C at INASA 4th Tiles Battle.
The INASA Word Clash University Edition is a competition organized by the Indonesia Australia Scrabble Academy (INASA) in collaboration with the English Language Student Activity Unit (UKM) at Unila, namely the Economics’ English Club (EEC), English Society (ESo), and SEEDS. Before the competition commenced, participants attended a brief tutoring session, followed by a mini tournament.
Fathi revealed that he only learned about the competition approximately one week prior to its execution. Given the limited preparation time, he seized the opportunity to ready himself as best as possible. This competition is a university-level event with an open category, contrasting with typical Scrabble competitions, which are usually divided into divisions according to participant ratings.
Fathi received information about the competition from senior students at the Economics’ English Club (EEC). He was motivated to participate in this event to enhance his Scrabble-playing skills while applying the experiences he had gained from previous competitions, especially after not securing a victory at Universitas Darmajaya.
During the preparation period, EEC conducted internal training for members participating in the competition. In this training, participants played Scrabble using the Woogles platform to assess their gameplay performance and received evaluations based on their results. Additionally, Fathi practiced by playing against bots on Woogles as a warm-up before the competition.
In this tournament, participants engaged in a mini tournament consisting of three rounds. The scoring system employed the Australian Draw, a pairing system that adjusts opponents based on the score achieved in each round. In the first round, opponents were determined randomly, while subsequent rounds were based on previous match results.
According to Fathi, the greatest challenge he faced was the need to further develop his playing style, which included limited vocabulary mastery, inconsistent placement, and occasional blunders during gameplay. To address these issues, he regularly practiced with senior students in EEC to gain insights into his performance. He also memorized high-scoring bingo stems—combinations of seven-letter words—and the patterns of double and triple letters, which he identified as his weaknesses.
In addition to gaining competitive experience, Fathi had the opportunity to meet members from ESo, SEEDS, and INASA tutors. He stated that this experience bolstered his confidence in participating in other Scrabble competitions.
Fathi expressed that EEC provided substantial support throughout the preparation process through internal training, feedback on practice results, and moral support during the competition. Through his achievements, Fathi advised other students not to shy away from competitions and to enjoy every step of the journey.
“If you are preparing for a competition, take it easy, don’t be too tense, especially if it is your first competition. The more often you participate, the stronger your mental resilience will become, your confidence will grow, and achievements will surely follow. I hope the Scrabble industry can flourish in Lampung so that Scrabble can be contested on a larger scale,” he remarked. [Gandhi Irawwan]
