Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has appointed Tunde Onakoya, who broke Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest-ever chess marathon with a time of 60 hours as the state Sports Ambassador.
Governor Abiodun announced the appointment of the founder of Chess in Slums Africa aimed to inspire and uplift underprivileged children on his X page Thursday.
Mr Onakoya broke the longest-ever chess marathon on 20 April at Times Square in New York, United States surpassing Norwegian players, Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad, who played for 56-hour, 9-minute in 2018.
Mr Dapo wrote: “We welcomed Tunde Onakoya, the National Master of Chess and GWR holder for the longest chess marathon. Beyond chess, he founded ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ to inspire and uplift underprivileged children.
“Today, we appointed him as our State Sports Ambassador as Ogun State prepares to host the National Sports Festival in nine months, where chess will be featured. In his honour, we are launching the Ogun State Chess Competition, which Mr. Onakoya will design.”
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Sanwo-Olu
Yesterday, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu welcomed Mr Onakoya.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said his journey embodies the spirit of Lagos—resilient, ambitious, and driven to succeed.
He said, “Powerful visions birth movements that change lives. Today, we welcomed back Tunde Onakoya, our chess champion, to Lagos. As we celebrate his achievements, we’re inspired by his vision for empowering our children and youth. 
“Together with Tunde and the transformative power of Chess, we’ll work towards a future where every child in Lagos has the opportunity to realize their full potential.
“The state proudly supports his mission, purposefully providing resources to fuel this noble cause now and in the future.”
Mr Onakoya returned to Nigeria on 24 April after he broke the longest-ever chess marathon. He landed at Murtala International Airport at exactly 2:00 PM.
He was treated to a nice homecoming party at the airport.
