Onakoya Refused To Quit Chess Marathon Despite Health Challenges - New York NGO

Tunde Onakoya

New York-based non-profit organisation, Gift of Chess, disclosed that Nigerian chess master, Tunde Onakoya, experienced intense vomiting and stomach pain during his ongoing marathon but refused to quit, on Thursday.

Onakoya and his United States counterpart, Shawn Martinez, are both attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon at New York City’s iconic Times Square, which is scheduled to end on Friday, April 19.

They stated that they did not think he would continue with the record-breaking feat due to ill-health but he was relentless.

Gift of Chess wrote on X, “That’s #Tunde_OD curled over in pain. Yesterday, we did not think we could continue, as he was experiencing intense vomiting and stomach pain.

“When given the choice to quit, he said, ‘I will play on for the dreams of millions of children.’

“Tunde has never quit on the kids. Let’s not quit on him. Everyone who has liked a photo, we ask you now to donate.”

Onakoya’s goal is to engage in uninterrupted play for 58 hours against his opponent, Martinez, as the purpose of the attempt is to raise $1,000,000 to empower more children across Africa.