David Adeleke, famously known as Davido, has thrown his support behind Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess Master, who is on a mission to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. The current record holders are Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, both hailing from Norway. They achieved this feat on November 11, 2018, with an impressive time of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds.
Besides Davido, several other influential Nigerians have gathered in New York to show their solidarity with Onakoya. Among them are popular singer Adekunle Gold, Nigeria’s Consul-General in New York City, Ambassador Peter Egopija, and well-known human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore.
Tunde Onakoya has been keeping everyone updated on his progress through his Instagram account. Today, he shared a post saying, “I’ve been playing non-stop chess in Times Square for over 43 hours now, with the goal of breaking a world record and raising one million dollars for children’s education across Africa. We’re only 14 hours away from the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”
Reflecting on his exhaustion, Onakoya expressed his gratitude, stating, “Yes, I’m feeling tired, but the overwhelming feeling of gratitude surpasses any physical discomfort at the moment. We are determined to reach the finish line. So far, my partner, US National Master Shawn Martinez, and I have played a total of 167 games. Thanks to an incredible team of volunteers, Martinez even had the chance to enjoy some delicious jollof rice. The outpouring of love and support from people worldwide is truly heartwarming. Let’s keep spreading the word until we reach the 58-hour mark and raise $1 million for children’s education through chess.”
Onakoya embarked on his quest to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon at 10 am on Wednesday, April 17. His endeavor is scheduled to conclude at 8 pm today, April 19. Remarkably, he aims to achieve this remarkable feat without experiencing a single defeat throughout the 58-hour duration.