A challenge for a good cause. Tunde Onakoya, a 29-year-old Nigerian chess champion, played for more than 58 hours straight, breaking the record for the world’s longest chess marathon, this Saturday, April 20, in the United States, the Associated Press reports.
To set this record, Tunde Onakoya faced Shawn Martinez, an American chess champion. The game began on Wednesday and took place in Times Square, New York. The 58-hour mark was officially surpassed on Friday around 10:30 p.m. local time, or this Saturday around 4:30 a.m. Paris time.
The previous record was 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds. It was founded in 2018 by two Norwegians. This record has not yet been officially commented on by the Guinness World Record.
Defend the education of children in Africa
For Tunde Onakoya, this challenge is not intended to be purely sporting. The Nigerian aims, with this album, to raise awareness among the general public about the difficulties of access to education for children in Africa. He hopes to raise a million dollars for his association “Chess in the Slums of Africa”, created in 2018.
Before beginning his role, Tunde Onakoya said he wanted to make “the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education” come true.
According to the player’s agent, $22,000 had already been raised 20 hours after the start of the game. “The support has been overwhelming from Nigerians in the United States, world leaders, celebrities and hundreds of passersby,” he said.
Mobilized regularly
During the match, many onlookers gathered around the two players to cheer them on, singing and dancing.
Tunde Onakoya regularly organizes chess competitions in Nigeria for children living on the streets.
More than 10 million Nigerian children do not go to school, in this country, which is the most populous in Africa, with nearly 220 million inhabitants.
Source: BFM TV
