13-Year-Old Wins World Youth Scrabble Championship Months After Moving to Australia

Dineth Fernando, 13, won the 2026 World Youth Scrabble Championship in Nairobi on August 9. He won 18 of 24 games against more than 130 players from 15 countries. His family moved from Sri Lanka to Melbourne in February 2026. Fernando's first language is not English. He is the third Australian player to win the youth title.