Dineth Fernando, a 14-year-old who relocated to Australia less than a year ago, has won the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Nairobi, defeating over 140 competitors from around the world.

Dineth Fernando, originally from Sri Lanka and now residing in Melbourne, secured victory at the World Youth Scrabble Championship held in Nairobi this week. The 14-year-old competed against more than 140 young players from across the globe to claim the title. For Fernando, English is a second language, yet he attributed his success to a structured approach of studying 200 words daily from the official Scrabble dictionary.

Fernando first encountered Scrabble at age eight through school competitions and went on to participate in national championships in both 2022 and 2024. His qualification for the world event followed his victory at the Australian Youth Scrabble Championship in July 2026. Beyond competition, Fernando has credited the game with helping him integrate into Australian society and establish friendships since his family's recent relocation.

His father, Prasanna Fernando, a medical doctor who moved the family from Sri Lanka to Australia in February, expressed considerable pride in his son's achievement. According to the family, the decision to travel to Kenya was made at the last moment and complicated by regional tensions, though ultimately the journey proved worthwhile. The family also acknowledged the guidance of Dineth's coach, Rashid Sudin, who has supported his development over several years.

Despite his accomplished record in word games, Fernando intends to pursue medicine as a career, drawing on his strong interests in mathematics and science. He has also noted that Scrabble maintains significant popularity in Sri Lanka, where schools operate competitive clubs and develop youth players for national representation.