Tunde Onakoya, a chess master from Nigeria, achieved a remarkable feat on Saturday by setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest continuous chess marathon.
On his official X account, he excitedly shared the news with his followers, expressing determination to push the record to 60 hours while emphasizing the charitable cause behind his endeavor – raising funds for the education of underprivileged African children worldwide.
Surpassing the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set by Norwegian players, Tunde’s marathon took place at the iconic Times Square in New York City.
Partnering with US counterpart Shawn Martinez, both national masters, Tunde aimed not only to break a record but also to draw attention to the importance of providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged children across Africa.
Joined by Martinez after 23 hours of play, the duo continued their quest, garnering support from notable figures including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and musicians Davido and Adekunle Gold.
Through their determination and support, Tunde and Shawn showcased the power of unity and love in making a positive impact on the world.
WATCH VIDEO:
Omg! you did it champ @Tunde_OD pic.twitter.com/CJup7W6569
— Moe (@Mochievous) April 20, 2024
@thatsandragirl The moment Tunde Onakoya clocked the 58th hour 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬 The current record stands at 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds, achieved by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebo and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018. Tunde is aiming to surpass this record by at least 2 hours. But this isn’t just about breaking records; it’s about shining a global spotlight on Tunde’s impactful work with Chess in Slums Africa (@chessinslums) and raising $1 million to expand access to chess education for millions of children worldwide. Here’s how you can support: 1. Donate to the cause via the link in their bio. 2. Spread the word. Reshare, repost, retweet as many posts about this attempt as possible. 3. Show up at Times Square if you’re in NYC or nearby if you can, he’s currently at 58:13min. You can still show up❤️if you can’t, follow the live update hun. He wants ro add extra two hours to make it 60hours🇳🇬🇳🇬 More enquires for support can be directed to taiwo@tundeonakoya.com or tunde@chessinslumsafrica.com.? For real-time updates, follow Chess in Slums Africa and @thegiftofchess. #impact #socialimpact