Chess champion Tunde Onakoya appointed Sports Ambassador

Chess Master, Tunde Onakoya has been appointed a Sports Ambassador by the Ogun State government following his world record-breaking chess marathon campaign at the Times Square in New York.

Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun disclosed this on Thursday, April 25 when he received Onakoya in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He also announced a state chess competition would be held in all parts of the state to honor Onakoya. He added that he wouldn't have achieved this feat without determination, resilience and hard work.

“I can see why you continue to be inspiration to many young people across the length and breath of this country. You have gone further by establishing a foundation called the ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ because you are determined to tell your story and encourage other children and get them out of the slums and give them hope and future,” he said.

“Today, we will be officially appointing you as our State Sports Ambassador. Coincidentally, Ogun State will be hosting the National Sports Festival in the next nine months or thereabouts and we are boasting that we are set to host the best National Sports Festival that has never been held in the history of this country and coincidentally, chess is one of the games that will feature in that event.

“I have decided that because of you and in your honour, we will begin an Ogun State Chess Competition across the length and breath of the state. Since you are now officially our Sports Ambassador and our Chess Ambassador, we will leave it to you to design that competition from the local government all the way to the state level.

“But we as your state, we will have a sponsor in the Tunde Onakoya Prize, for the winner of that competition,” the governor explained.