Players Profiles

Featured below are the profiles of some of the most skilled Grandmaster and Master players of Oware (Awale, Ayo Olopon, Oril, Warri) from across the planet. Hailing from countries such as Antigua & Barbuda, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Poland, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Over the years these players have demonstrated their pedigree in international championships in different parts of the planet.

Trevor 'Simple' Simon - Antigua & Barbuda

Trevor Simple Simon dominated local competitions in Antigua during the mid 80’s until 2002 when he decided to stop competing locally. During this timeframe he won championships as follows: Antigua and Barbuda National Warri Association, National League and Knockout championships 1985. ABNWA Eater Classic champion 1986. Villa and Point league Championship 1986, 1987, 1988 and best of 5 knockout champion in 1988. After a lull in ABWNA organized competitions, a new executive was instituted, and competition returned in 1997. Simon again won The Antigua Commercial Bank sponsored competition as follows: League Champion and best of 11 knock out champion, and best of 3 knock out champion. Simon repeated the feat of winning both league and knock championship in 1998. After taking another break he returned to competition in 2002 and immediately won the national best of 5 competition in 2002 his last local competition.

Participated in Mind Sport Olympiad World Championships in England, as follows: 1998 Gold Medal Winner, 1999 Gold Medal Winner and 2000 Gold Medal Winner.

For his feat, the Mind Sport Olympiad Organizing Committee certified and conferred upon him the title of International Grand Master of Warri in 1999

Ibrahim Abubakar - Ghana

Ibrahim Abubakar 'The Oware Assassin' came to prominence in the by winning the Kumasi Open Oware Championship in 1997. He developed his playing skills at the Ghana Legion playing group in Kumasi.

Roll Call of Achievements

1997- Champion Kumasi Open Oware Championship

2003 - Champion Antiguan Open International Warri Championship

2015 - Runner Up Almaty Open Oware Championship

Gordon Akurugu - Ghana

Gordon Akrugu a member of the Krofrom playing group in Kumasi, is a Grandmaster player who came to international attention by winning the 2017 Kumasi Clubs Championship.

Subsequently he made his international debut at the 3rd World Nomad Games in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. Where he placed 3rd in the Grandmasters Oware Championship & 8th in the 3WNG Oware Championship.

Role Call of Achievements

2019 - Second the International Ethno Festival at Saudi Arabia

2018 - Third in the World Nomad Games Oware Championship,

Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

2012 - Champion in the Kordie district @50 anniversary

Champion in Upper East Bolgatanga

2009 - Champion in the Otumfour Osei Tutu Oware Championship

2007 - Champion in the Otumfour Osei Tutu Oware Championship

Ayirugu Azasemi - Ghana

Ayirugu Azasemi a member of the Krofrom playing group in Kumasi, is a Grandmaster player who came to international attention by placing second in the 2017 Kumasi Clubs Championship. Subsequently he made his international debut at the 3rd World Nomad Games in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. Where he placed 1st in the Grandmasters Oware Championship & 2nd in the 3WNG Oware Championship.

He started his education in Oware with his late father, himself a championship player, so he was born in Oware. He trained with his father continuously, who taught him the refinements of Oware playing by digging holes in the ground to practice.

Role Call of Achievements

2018- First Grandmasters Invitation Oware Championship, Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

2018-3rd World Nomad Games Oware Championship, Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

2017 - 2nd Kumasi Clubs Oware Championship

Edmilson Tavares Semedo - Cape Verde

Edmilson Tavares Semedo who hails from Santa Cruz, Santiago, Cape Verde, burst onto the international scene with a spectacular win over the favourite in the Ethno Festival Intellectual Games Oware Championship in Saudi Arabia in March 2019.

Roll Call of Achievements

2019 - 1st Ethno Festival Intellectual Games Oware Championship

Johnson Aramide Adeoye - Nigeria

Johnson Aramide Adeoye (47 born in 1974 /75) a small-scale farmer who hails from Ile-Ife in Osun State Nigeria, started playing Ayo Olopon with his parents from the age of ten. At age thirteen he was dominant enough to travel to the University of Lagos to participate in his first competition.

Since 1988 he has retained the title as Nigeria’s number one Ayo Olopon player. So dominant is he that, a victim of his own success, for some championships he is denied participation to give other players a chance of sharing the limelight.

Roll Call of Achievements

1988 – Champion 11th NSF Ayo Olopon Championship

2004 – Champion 14th NSF Ayo Olopon Championship

2006 – Champion 15th NSF Ayo Olopon Championship

2006 – Champion National Traditional Sports Championship

2010 – Champion Seaman’s National Ayo Championship

2016 – Champion Tunde Olatunji Ayo Olopon State Tournament

2018 – Champion Chief Oladimeji Obakin Memorial Ayo Olopon Competition

2018 – Champion 20th Opon-Ayo Open Inter-Zonal Competition

2018 – Champion Ayo Olopon Competition

2018 – Champion 19th NSF Ayo Olopon Championship

2019 – Champion Lisabi Day Ayo Olopon Competition

2019 – Champion 21st Ijesa Felates Club Opon-Ayo Open Competition

2019 – Champion 32 FM Ibadan Board Masters Ayo Olopon

2021 – Champion 20th NSF Ayo Olopon Championship