Guinness World Record: Tinubu Celebrates Onakoya

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Entertainment News, Latest Headlines Saturday, April 20th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the ingenuity of Tunde Onakoya, the Nigerian chess maestro who set a new world chess record.

The African Examiner writes that Onakoya broke the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in the early hours of Saturday, April 20, 2024, after he played for over 58 hours undefeated.

He achieved this feat, in Times Square in New York City, United States, defeating the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set in 2018 by Norwegian duo, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.

The Nigerian Chess Champion went into the challenge to raise $1m for underprivileged African children to get access to education.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Saturday, President Tinubu heaped praises on Onakoya for displaying the resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity for which Nigerian youths are known.

“I celebrate this Nigerian Chess Champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa for his rare feat, but especially for the reason driving this compelling demonstration of character, which is raising funds for African children to learn and find opportunity through chess.

“Tunde has shown a streak customary among Nigeria’s youth population, the audacity to make good change happen; to baffle impossibility, and propel innovations and solutions to the nation’s challenges, even from corners of disadvantage,” the statement partly read.

The President also disclosed that Nigeria’s youths have demonstrated in all fields, including Afrobeats, Nollywood, the pulsating skit-making enterprise, education, science and technology that great deeds can come from small places.

He added: “I commend the inclination of Nigerians – across artificial partitions – for unity, once again exemplified through their undiluted support for this epoch-making endeavour.

“I assure all citizens that my administration remains strongly committed to creating and expanding opportunities for the youth to explore and exercise their abilities and become the symbols of greatness our nation represents into the future.”.