Bahrain’s Scrabble Champion Enters Global Top 30
“Scrabble is my life, everything else is just a game.” Albeit borrowed, for Mohammed Irfan Siddiqui, a Bahraini national who recently rose to World No. 30 in the latest WESPA global rankings, this phrase remains a lived truth. The 20-year Scrabble veteran recently secured second place at the prestigious KSSA Indian Open 2026, one of the world’s most competitive scrabble tournaments, emerging ahead of more than 100 top international players.
Irfan, known for his strategic and analytical skills, has represented Bahrain on stages from India to the UK. His recent runner-up finish is one of the country’s biggest Scrabble achievements.
“One common misconception is that Scrabble is just about having a strong vocabulary,” he says. In reality, it’s about probability analysis, board strategy, risk management and mental endurance”. Now World No. 30, he hopes to break into the global top 10 and is calling for more local support to help Bahraini players compete internationally and grow the game at home.
Irfan’s journey began in Bahrain’s vibrant scrabble scene of the 1980s and ’90s, championed by the late Roy Kietzman, former President of the Bahrain Scrabble League and former Chair of the global WESPA board.
“Back then, the scene was strong, mostly among expatriates, but over time people moved on, and the league eventually became defunct,” he recalls. Though he has tried to spark local interest through Lulu-sponsored tournaments and student workshops pre-covid, sustaining momentum without a proper venue and active organization remains a challenge.
Preparation in those days was old-school: a printed dictionary, patience, and hours of self-study. Today, training has evolved with apps and software.
Schools, he adds, are perfect breeding grounds for talent. They not only nurture strategic thinking and cognitive growth, but studies also suggest a fun bonus - regular scrabble may even lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.
In Bahrain, youth participation in Scrabble is strong, and with guidance from coaches like Irfan, young players could again compete internationally. He aims to partner with organizations like Bahrain Mind Sports to revive the game locally. Beyond Scrabble, Irfan has built a successful career in medicine and finance, currently serving as Director at Arbah Capital, holding an MBBS, MBA, and CFA Charter.
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