• Perth Modern student Rahul Jegatheva, 12, is set to represent Australia in the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Sri Lanka. Photo by Matt Dwyer

LAST Sunday the humble confines of the Coogee Scrabble Club touched greatness in the guise of 12-year-old Rahul Jegatheva.

The club is based at the Coogee Caravan Resort down at Woodman Point: with wind whistling through trees outside and perhaps the occasional caw of a kookaburra, Rahul took out a Triple Crown in the 2014 Coogee Scrabble Tournament.

The Perth Modern student won six of his seven games against much older opponents, amassing a high game score of 448 points and a high word score of 86.

“It was supposed to be my last practice before my debut in a world championships event in Sri Lanka,” the seasoned young player told the Herald.

He’s been competing for a year and says he “fully supports” younger people playing the phenomenally popular word game, revered by millions worldwide, but most of them well over 50 years old.

“It will be nice to see some people my own age for once,” he sighs. “Most younger people don’t play Scrabble because they’re not introduced to it properly, so if they start properly, they might actually like the game.”

Coogee Scrabble Club coordinator Jenny Coetzee, hopes Rahul’s success will encourage more kids to join the club, regardless of its isolation.

“We certainly need a bit of promotion,” she says.

“We need more youngsters in WA getting involved.”

Rahul will represent Australia in the World Youth Scrabble Championships in Sri Lanka.

by CAMILLE VISSER