MOST Nigerians have taken to their social media handle to celebrate a renowned Nigerian chess player, Tunde Onakoya, as he completed his attempt at the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon.
Although the Guinness World Record has not officially confirmed the new record, many Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu’s minister and other influential figures who have initially drummed support for the chess master, took to social media to celebrate his successful attempt.
Onakoya surpassed the previous world record set at 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.
He exceeded this record at 7:39 PM EST (12:39 AM WAT), since the start of the chess marathon at 11:30 AM EST (4:30 PM WAT) on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. He further chose to extend his effort to 60 hours instead of the originally planned 58 hours before commencing.
He attempted, hoping to raise $1m (£805,000) for charity to support chess education for millions of children. However, as of the time of writing this report, he had only raised $101,673.36 through his Tiltify account.
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Onakoya had on Thursday, April 12, 2024, posted on his X handle that he would attempt to set a new chess record by playing chess for 58 hours without losing a game.
“On the 17th of April 2024, I will attempt to break the Guinness World record for the longest Chess marathon in the heart of Times Square, New York City, for 58 hours without losing a game. Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education.” Onakoya wrote.
Although the Guinness World Record has not officially confirmed the new record, many Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu and other influential figures who have initially drummed support for the chess master, took to social media to celebrate his successful attempt.
Announcing his successful attempt, Onakoya wrote, “WE HAVE DONE IT,” on his X handle.
Nigerians jubilate, and applaud Onakoya for his perseverance
Following the record-breaking chess Marathon event, Nigerians across the country have showered praise upon Onakoya for setting a new record and his remarkable display of perseverance.
Most of them, particularly X, took to their social media handles to applaud his new feat and also called for donations to his charity project.
Some also claimed that his recent achievement has not only captured the attention of the nation but has also become a source of inspiration and pride for many.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, celebrated the achievement of Onakoya, stating, “What an achievement!! Followed this Guinness World Record attempt with keen interest. Congratulations to @Tunde_OD”
Niyi Oyedeji, a renowned journalist and fact-checker, wrote, “Congratulations to Tunde Onakoya @Tunde_OD for displaying grit and tenacity. You’re an inspiration to many young people out there, and I celebrate you for the sterling work you do.”
Also, another user, with the username Nkechi First, posted, “Oh wow! I love resilience. Congratulations Tunde Onakoya @Tunde_OD for your Chess marathon and your new Guinness World Record. You are an inspiration.”
Several other Nigerians have flooded different social media channels, expressing their pride and admiration for Onakoya’s extraordinary accomplishment.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M