Entertainment
Tunde Onakoya Breaks Chess Marathon World Record to Support Homeless Kids
Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. He surpassed the previous record of 61 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds. This was done with the help of his chess partner, Shawn Martinez. They crossed the 62-hour mark early Sunday morning, April 20, at Times Square, New York City. Now, they are aiming for a 70-hour goal, which is set to finish later today.
“We’ve officially broken the record!” Onakoya celebrated on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, sharing the achievement with his followers. The marathon, which began on Wednesday, April 17, is not just a test of endurance. Onakoya sees it as a powerful call to action, aiming to raise awareness and funds for a free school for homeless children in Nigeria.
“If you had 70 hours to change the world, what would you do?” he challenged his audience. “Every move, every hour, is a love letter to children who’ve never known the luxury of a second chance.”
Pictures from the event show Onakoya and Martinez deeply focused under the bright lights of Times Square.
In a touching moment, Martinez’s wife brought their newborn twins to the venue, adding a personal and emotional touch to the marathon. Children also joined for a few hours.
Also, this marks Onakoya’s second attempt at breaking the record. In April 2024, he and Martinez completed a 60-hour marathon. This surpassed the previous 2018 record held by Norwegians Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad. However, another Norwegian duo extended the record to 61 hours in June 2024, briefly taking back the title.
Now, a year later, Onakoya and Martinez are not only reclaiming the record but also hoping to make a long-term impact on vulnerable children across Africa. Proceeds from the event, including sales of exclusive chess sets, will support Onakoya’s vision of building “the largest free school for homeless children in Nigeria.”
“No child should have to sacrifice their childhood for survival,” Onakoya emphasized. “No dream should be buried under the weight of poverty.”
VeryDarkMan shares that he was warned by Burna Boy once that the Nigerians he fights for will one day turn on him.
He shared “Burna Boy warned me, he said the Nigerians I’m fighting for will backstab me. They’ll put knife in your neck if they have the opportunity.”
“Fighting for Nigerians is tiring. Same Nigerians that tried to cancel Burna of their own because of what happened in his UK show. Una international star. Just because him tell one person make him Comot from him show, Una join them everybody wan cancel am.”
Well, a particular song or songs have been ringing in everyone’s ears this week. Do we have the same answer?
Yes, “Heaven Baby” by Ayra Starr and Zayn Malik.
The song has risen quite well, with TikTok users also using it for different trends and videos. It has also made an impact on the charts, reaching No. 2 on the UK Official Afrobeats Chart in its first week.
Other songs from Ayra Starr’s Starrgirl album that have been getting attention include:
- Misunderstood
- Amazing
- Gimme Dat
- Dangerous
- Pressure
“Heaven Baby” has also been gaining significant traction on TikTok, with hundreds of thousands of videos using the sound.
Movie lovers, this weekend we’ll be looking at 10 movies Angelina Jolie has acted in.
- Girl, Interrupted
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Wanted
- Salt
- The Tourist
- Maleficent
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
- Eternals
“Fighting for Nigerians Is Tiring” — VeryDarkMan Recalls Burna Boy’s Words
Enzo Fernández Moves Closer to Manchester City Transfer
