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Teen Immigrant Conquers World Scrabble Stage
13 Aug
Summary
- 13-year-old Dineth Fernando recently won the world youth Scrabble championship.
- He moved to Australia from Sri Lanka only six months ago.
- Dineth beat over 130 opponents from 15 different countries in Nairobi.
Dineth Fernando, a 13-year-old who relocated to Australia with his family in February, has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the 2026 world youth Scrabble championships. The tournament, held in Nairobi, Kenya, saw Dineth compete against more than 130 opponents from 15 different nations.
Despite the challenges of jetlag and intense competition, Dineth's focus and skill, including strategic plays with words like "lauf" and "minceur," secured his victory. He is the third Australian to win this prestigious title. His journey began in Sri Lanka at age eight, and upon moving to Australia, he continued to hone his skills, competing against top players.
Dineth dedicates over three hours daily to studying Scrabble words, attributing his success to discipline and hard work. He sees English not being his first language as an advantage, given Scrabble's multilingual dictionary. He has returned to school in Melbourne, where he received a hero's welcome, and is already setting his sights on defending his title in the 2027 competition.
