Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos Chapter has commended Mr Tunde Onakoya for breaking and set a new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon on Saturday, after playing for non stop 60 hours and winning every match in tow.
The chess marathon was held in Times Square, New York City, United States. The Nigerian chess star began with the goal of surpassing the previous world record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds, set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.
Onakoya’s initial target was to play for 58 hours, but he pushed the boundaries even further, extending the marathon to a full 60 hours
Chairman of Lagos SWAN, Olatutu Oladunni, on behalf of sports journalists in the state, applauded Onakoya’s resilience and tenacity to hold on to his dream of breaking the world record as Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora, stood by him to give the support he needed in the open air at Times Square in New York, USA.
Oladunni said Onakoya, Nigerian Chess Champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, did display the qualities that come with playing chess during the marathon.
“We are particularly happy for him that he displayed that high sense of patriotism as a Nigerian at that global stage, projecting the image of our great country positively in his quest to rewrite chess world record.
“We and the rest of the world watched him during the marathon as he was calm, focused with determination. He set sight on the big picture to bring honour to himself, family and our dear country,” Oladunni said in a statement at the weekend.
The Lagos SWAN enjoined Nigerian youths to emulate the new world chess champion to always use their God-given talents and gifts to make names for themselves, adding that sports has always been a veritable avenue for economic empowerment and personal fulfillment.
