Sports
Tunde Onakoya Becomes Ogun State Official Sport Ambassador
The Guinness World Record longest-ever chess marathon player, Mr Tunde Onakoya has been honoured by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state as the state official sport ambassador.
Tunde Onakoya who played the game of chess for 60 hours at Times Square in New York, United States to set the world record paid a courtesy visit the Gov Dapo Abiodun at his Governor’s office, Oke Mosan Abeokuta in company of his parent.
According to the report from the Governor’s office:
We have received Mr. Tunde Onakoya, a truly remarkable son of the soil who holds the prestigious title of National Master of Chess and the current Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in history. It is evident why he serves as an inspiration to countless young individuals throughout our great nation.
However, Mr. Onakoya’s influence extends far beyond his accomplishments in the world of chess. In his unwavering determination to make a difference, he has established a foundation entitled ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ with a heartfelt mission to share his own story, uplift and motivate underprivileged children, and guide them towards a brighter future outside the boundaries of slums. It is indeed awe-inspiring to witness his relentless dedication.
Today, it is our distinct honour to appoint Mr. Tunde Onakoya as the state’s official sports ambassador. Coincidentally, our very own Ogun State is set to host the highly anticipated National Sports Festival in approximately nine months. We are incredibly proud to declare that we aim to orchestrate the most outstanding national sports festival in the history of our beloved country. Interestingly, chess stands as one of the captivating events to be showcased during this incredible occasion.
In recognition of Mr. Onakoya’s exceptional contributions, we have unanimously decided to inaugurate the inaugural Ogun State Chess Competition, spanning across every corner of our state. Given his esteemed appointment as our Sports and Chess Ambassador, we entrust Mr. Onakoya to design this prestigious competition, commencing from the grassroots level all the way up to the grand state finale.
As the state government, we are thrilled to announce the Tunde Onakoya Prize, a sponsorship dedicated to rewarding the ultimate victor of this exhilarating chess competition. This prize symbolises our deep appreciation for Mr. Onakoya’s unwavering commitment to his craft and his unwavering desire to elevate the realm of chess within our state.
Together, we embark on a journey of sporting excellence, unity, and empowerment, firmly guided by the remarkable leadership of Mr. Tunde Onakoya.
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has hosted Francis Ngannou, the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, at his office in Abeokuta.
In a post on his Instagram on Monday, Ngannou said he visited the former president on Sunday.
It was an honour meeting the legendary former Nigerian president, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday at his home office in Abeokuta. It was great receiving some words of wisdom from the legend,” the post reads.
Ngannou, a Cameroonian-French, arrived in Nigeria a few days ago after spending the yuletide holiday in his native Central African country.
Over the weekend, he was spotted in Lagos hanging out with Burna Boy and Kamaru Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion.
Ngannou’s visit to Nigeria comes almost three months after he knocked out Brazil’s Ricardo Ferreira in the first round of his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut.Before that, Ngannou suffered a second-round knockout to Anthony Joshua at their exhibition bout in March 2024.
… Ex-boxing champion to light torch of National Sports Festival in May
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans by his administration to construct a brand new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring in the state.
Governor Abiodun also announced that the two-time former world heavyweight boxing champion would be lighting the Gateway Games National Sports Festival torch, which has been postponed to May next year.
The Governor made this known on Monday when he hosted the two-time world heavyweight boxing champion in his office.
“I want to openly request that, besides the fact that today we are going to officially confirm you as our sports ambassador, we want to request that you come back to light up the Gateway Sports Festival torch; you will be the one lighting it up.
“We are going to construct a brand new Anthony Joshua Indoor Boxing Ring, and that boxing ring will be in a stadium here in Abeokuta to ensure that you come home more frequently. Besides the fact that you are now our official sports ambassador, we have decided that we will give you a brand new house in Sagamu,” he said.
The Governor urged Anthony Joshua to find ways of supporting the state in the area of sports development by working alongside the Director General of the National Sports Commission and the state Commissioner for Sports Development to host a boxing championship in the state.
“We want to plead that you also find ways to support us back home. We believe that we should have tournaments planned leading to the sports festival, and you were expressing how you will participate and what you can do to mentor.
“We leave you to work with our Director General of the National Sports Commission and the Commissioner for Sports Development on what we can do to ensure that we have activities leading to the sports festival in your boxing arena.
“Proudly, we bid for the National Sports Festival for this year, and we won that bid. The festival was supposed to be in January; however, for some technical reasons, it’s been postponed to sometime in May.
“In preparation for the sports festival, we are spending a lot of money; we are totally refurbishing, rehabilitating, and reconstructing our sporting facilities. As you know, sports is a universal language; it brings people from different parts of the world together,” he said.
The Governor noted that the state is blessed with many talents spread across music, arts, and sports who are doing very well and, at the same time, placing the state on the world map.
Prince Abiodun added that the state is extremely proud of the achievements of Anthony Joshua on the world stage, saying that his administration would support his career in every way it can.
“Your coming back home will be a source of motivation and inspiration for many young men who are aspiring sportsmen, and we have quite a lot of them in Ogun State.
“I want to congratulate you on what you have achieved in such a short span of time. You’ve made a short story of your life and your career.
“Whatever we can do to encourage you to continue to win more laurels for yourself, your family, for the state, and Nigeria, be assured that we will be more than happy to do that. We watch your career grow, and we are going to support your career in every way we can,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Anthony Joshua noted that he would work towards promoting Ogun State to the rest of the world by showcasing the numerous talents in the state.
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