Moiz Ullah Baig (born April 1997[1] in Karachi, Pakistan) is a Pakistani Scrabble player[2] who won the World Youth Scrabble Championship 2013[3][4][5] and the World Junior Scrabble Championship 2018, becoming the first player ever to win both.[6][7][8] He won the Pakistan Scrabble Championship in 2018[9][10] and is currently the number 1 player of the country.[11][12] In December 2018, with a WESPA rating of 1921, he climbed up to the 71st place in the world rankings – his career highest.[13]

Moiz Ullah Baig

Moiz was conferred with a gold medal by Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust in 2014 for his achievements in Scrabble.[14] He was mentioned alongside Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, Asma Jahangir, and several others in the Newsline Magazine, on being one of the Pakistanis who have made a prominent mark internationally.[15] He is referred to as the 'giant of scrabble' in Pakistan[16]. Moiz was appointed as a coach of Pakistan Scrabble Team in 2016.[17]

Moiz currently studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and has attended NED University of Engineering and Technology, DJ Science College, and Falconhouse Grammar School.[5][18][19][20][21][22]

Playing History edit

Moiz debuted the national circuit in 2012 at age 14 and beat several top-rated players in his first tournament.[23][24] He joined the international scene in 2013.[25]

2012 edit

Moiz won the All-Pakistan Inter-School Scrabble Championship.[19][20] Later in the year, he was selected to represent Pakistan at the World Youth Scrabble Championship in the UK,[26][27] but he couldn't get the visa.[5]

2013 edit

Moiz won the World Youth Scrabble Championship held in Dubai, UAE, becoming the first Pakistani to do so.[3][4][5]

2014 edit

Moiz finished 3rd at the Mind Sports International Youth Cup held in London, UK.[28][29] He was unsuccessful in defending his title at the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka.[30][31]

2015 edit

Moiz finished runner-up at the Pakistan Scrabble Championship.[32]

2016 edit

Moiz missed the quarter-finals of the World Scrabble Championship 2016 in Lille, France, after losing his last match to the former World Champion Adam Logan by 1 point, finishing 15th.[33][34] He was the runner-up at the Pakistan Scrabble Championship for the second time in a row.[35]

2017 edit

Moiz finished runner-up at both, the World Junior Scrabble Championship held in Nottingham, UK,[36][37][38] and the Princess Youth Scrabble Cup held in Bangkok, Thailand.[39][40][41]

2018 edit

Moiz won the World Junior Scrabble Championship held in Torquay, UK,[6][7][42][43][44] the Pakistan Scrabble Championship,[9][10] and the Pakistan Scrabble Champions Trophy.[16][45][46] He rose to the number 1 spot in national rankings ending Waseem Khatri's decade-long supremacy.[11] He was selected to represent ‘Team Rest of Asia’ at the Alchemist Cup – World Team Challenge in Penang, Malaysia,[47][48][49][50][51] where he ended up 16th among the top 50 players of the world.[52]

2019 edit

He was unsuccessful in defending his title at the Pakistan Scrabble Championship.[53][54]

2022 edit

Moiz won the 10th Continental Scrabble Championship in Berlin, Germany.[55]

References edit

  1. ^ "Birthday boy Moiz secures scrabble title | ePaper | DAWN.COM". epaper.dawn.com. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  2. ^ "Moiz Ullah Baig". www.wespa.org. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  3. ^ a b "Moiz Ullah Baig crowned WYSC Champion". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  4. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2013-12-15). "Moiz makes history with WYSC title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  5. ^ a b c d Hasan, Shazia (2013-12-17). "Laurels, cheers galore as victorious Pakistan scrabble team". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  6. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2018-10-24). "Moiz crowned junior world scrabble champion". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  7. ^ a b "Pakistan's Moiz crowned world junior scrabble champion". The Nation. 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  8. ^ "Pakistan's Imaad youngest world jr scrabble champion". The Nation. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  9. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2018-07-18). "Moiz clinches National Scrabble title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  10. ^ a b "HISTORY OF PAKISTAN SCRABBLE CHAMPIONS – Pakistan Scrabble Association". Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  11. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2018-02-20). "Moiz ends Waseem's supremacy at the top". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  12. ^ Khilari. "Pakistan to compete at World Scrabble Championship & Junior World Scrabble Championship, 2019 - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  13. ^ "Moiz Ullah Baig". www.wespa.org. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  14. ^ "Moiz Ullah takes lesson from Islamabad defeat". The Express Tribune. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  15. ^ "The Prized Ones". Newsline. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  16. ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2018-10-09). "Moizullah Baig new giant of scrabble in Pakistan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  17. ^ "Moiz to spell out win for Pakistan team". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  18. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2012-08-05). "Jahanzaib, Javeria excel in 'The Scrabble Battle'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  19. ^ a b "Mihajuddin wins scrabble event". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  20. ^ a b "Mihajuddin clinches Inter School Scrabble title". The Nation. 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  21. ^ Exclusive Interview of Moiz Baig | Nayi Baat | Neo News, retrieved 2019-11-08
  22. ^ #studentsofTUdarmstadt. "The #studentsofTUdarmstadt". #studentsofTUdarmstadt – Technical University of Darmstadt. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  23. ^ "Khatri defends ranking title". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  24. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2012-02-06). "Ranking scrabble". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  25. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2013-07-08). "Impressive Inayat clinches Penang scrabble event". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  26. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2012-10-02). "Moizullah wins scrabble tourney". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  27. ^ "Scrabble team to compete in England". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  28. ^ "Moiz secures third spot in scrabble championship". The News. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  29. ^ "Pakistan's Moiz comes third in 1st Mind Scrabble C'ship". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  30. ^ Agencies (2014-09-01). "Durand dethrones Moiz". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  31. ^ "Losing world title wasn't easy". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  32. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2015-07-28). "Waseem seizes fourth successive Pakistan Scrabble title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  33. ^ Agencies (2016-09-04). "Daniyal makes quarters". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  34. ^ "02.09.2016 MSI WSC Lille after game 24". www.wespa.org. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  35. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2016-07-19). "Waseem wins National Scrabble Championship for eighth time". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  36. ^ "Youngsters fetch accolades for Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  37. ^ "Pakistan colts shine in Junior World Scrabble". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  38. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2017-08-23). "Pakistanis shine at Junior World Scrabble". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  39. ^ "Pakistani scrabble players Hammad, Moiz score one-two finish in Princess Cup". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  40. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2017-11-28). "Hammad grabs Princess Cup title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  41. ^ "Pakistan's Hammad and Moiz sparkle in Princess Cup Youth Scrabble Tournament". Daily Times. 2017-11-28. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  42. ^ "Shangrila (Private) Limited | Pakistan rules the world of youth scrabble". www.shangrila.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  43. ^ News, Allsportspk (2018-10-22). "Breaking - Junior World Scrabble Championship: Pakistan's 6 World Champions". AllSportsPK. Retrieved 2019-10-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  44. ^ "Five Moments from Torquay". torquay18.shtml. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  45. ^ Khilari. "Moiz Ullah Baig stands first in Shangrila Scrabble Champion's Trophy - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  46. ^ News, Allsportspk (2018-10-08). "Shangrila Scrabble Champions Trophy: Moiz Ullah Baig - The Title Holder". AllSportsPK. Retrieved 2019-10-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  47. ^ "Three Pak players in Rest of Asia for Alchemist Cup Scrabble". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  48. ^ "Three Pakistan players in Rest of Asia scrabble team". Daily Times. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  49. ^ News, Allsportspk (2018-10-04). "Alchemist Cup Scrabble Tournament: 3 Pakistan Players In "Rest Of Asia" Team". AllSportsPK. Retrieved 2019-10-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  50. ^ Khilari. "Waseem, Moiz & Sohaib representing Pakistan in The Alchemist Cup Scrabble C'ship 2018 - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  51. ^ "Three Pakistani players represent "Rest of Asia" team in Alchemist Cup Scrabble Tournament". Cliff Pakistan. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  52. ^ "Individual standings". alchemistcup.causewaychallenge.com. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  53. ^ Agencies (2019-07-24). "Hasham Hadi clinches scrabble title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  54. ^ Khilari. "Hasham Hadi becomes youngest Pakistani champion at 31st National Scrabble Championship - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  55. ^ News, Allsportspk. "10th Continental 2022 Scrabble C'ship; Germany: Pak's Moizullah Baig Wins With Authority | Allsportspk". Retrieved 2022-09-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)