Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has appointed renowned chess master and Guinness World Record holder, Tunde Onakoya, as the state’s sports ambassador.
The appointment was made during Onakoya’s visit to the governor’s office in Abeokuta on Thursday, News About Nigeria reports.
Governor Abiodun praised Onakoya’s achievements, citing his determination, resilience, and hard work as an inspiration to millions of young Nigerians.
He noted that Onakoya’s success story is a testament that anyone can achieve greatness regardless of their background or circumstances.
He said, “Today, we will be officially appointing you as our state sports ambassador. Coincidentally, Ogun State will be hosting the National Sports Festival in the next nine months or thereabouts and we are boasting that we are set to host the best National Sports Festival that has ever been held in the history of this country and coincidentally, chess is one of the games that will feature in that event.”
In honour of Onakoya’s achievements, the governor announced the launch of the Ogun State Chess Competition, which will be held across the state. Onakoya, who founded the ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ foundation, will design the competition, which will feature at the local government and state levels.
Onakoya broke the world record for the longest chess marathon on Saturday, playing unbeaten for 60 hours in New York City’s Times Square.
With the feat, Onakoya aimed to raise $1 million for children’s education across Africa.
He began the session on Wednesday, although he initially aimed to play for 58 hours, he pushed himself to reach 60 hours, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds set by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebo and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.
