Pa Onakoya, the father of Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya, has expressed his initial reservations about his son’s pursuit of chess. He admits that he never anticipated the level of popularity his son would achieve through the game.
According to him, Tunde’s father would always interrupt his chess games as a child, insisting that he prioritize his academics.
On April 17, Onakoya began his quest to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
He achieved an incredible feat on April 20, setting a new record for the longest-ever chess marathon. With an impressive time of 60 hours, he captivated the crowd at Times Square in New York, United States.
According to him, Babatunde Onakoya is someone who always achieves whatever he puts his mind to.
When Tunde was a young child, I would always clear away any distractions while he played chess, hoping to encourage his focus on school. I had no idea that this would be the thing that would make him so popular.
Parents should avoid discouraging their children from pursuing their passions. I never anticipated that Tunde’s skill in chess would bring him such unexpected popularity. I express my gratitude to God.
Onakoya surpassed the previous record set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, who played for an impressive 56 hours and 9 minutes in 2018.