A campaigning Nigerian chess champion has performed the sport continuous for 58 hours to interrupt the world file.
Tunde Onakoya, 29, hopes to lift $1m (£800,000) for kids’s training throughout Africa by way of the marathon try that started in New York Metropolis’s Occasions Sq. on Wednesday.
He crossed the 58-hour mark within the early hours of Saturday, beating the present file of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds, set in 2018 by Norwegian pair Hallvard Haug Flatebo and Sjur Ferkingstad.
Mr Onakoya performed towards US chess champion Shawn Martinez. Pic: AP
The Guinness World Document has but to publicly remark about Mr Onakoya’s bid.
It typically takes weeks for the organisation to substantiate any new file.
Mr Onakoya performed towards Shawn Martinez, a US chess champion, in keeping with pointers that any file try have to be made by two gamers taking part in constantly for your complete period.
Assist had been rising on-line and on the scene, the place African music stored spectators entertained.
The file try is “for the goals of tens of millions of kids throughout Africa with out entry to training,” mentioned Mr Onakoya, who based Chess in Slums Africa in 2018.
The charity goals to assist the training of at the least a million of the continent’s poorest kids.
After hitting the 24-hour mark, Mr Onakoya mentioned: “My vitality is at 100% proper now as a result of my individuals are right here supporting me with music.”
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Preserving him going was numerous water and the favored West African dish jollof rice.
For each hour of sport performed, Mr Onakoya and his opponent received solely 5 minutes break.
Typically they have been grouped collectively, permitting Mr Onakoya to satisfy his cheering well-wishers and even take part with their dancing.
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Taiwo Adeyemi, Mr Onakoya’s supervisor, mentioned: “The assist has been overwhelming from Nigerians within the US, world leaders, celebrities and a whole lot of passers-by.”
His file try was carefully adopted in Nigeria, the place he recurrently organises chess competitions for younger folks dwelling on the streets.
Greater than 10 million kids will not be at school within the West African nation – one of many world’s highest charges.
Amongst these to lend their backing was Nigeria’s former vp Yemi Osinbajo, who in a message to Mr Onakoya on the social media platform X mentioned: “Bear in mind your personal highly effective phrases ‘It’s attainable to do nice issues from a small place’.”
