World Chess Champion, Tunde Onakoya, has exhorted Nigerians to succeed with their talents and dreams despite their odd family background, status and place of origin.
The global chess master, who won the Guinness World Record longest marathon game of 64 hours last month, stated this in Lagos early this week at the launch of his biography “Tunde Onakoya, The Chess Champion”. An illustrated biography authored by award winning Lola Shoneyin and published by Ouida Books Lagos.
Onakoya advised the Nigerian youths not to give up their success dreams, but to work hard with determination, positive thinking, attitude and love for learning to realise their dreams. Most importantly, Onakoya added that the act of service to the community to lift people to succeed is very essential for excellent achievements.
“ I was born and bred in the slum of Lagos, precisely Ikorodu area with a very humble background, I faced so many challenges ranging from so many lacks, hawking, no money for school fees, mania jobs etc, but I discovered in my area their was a lot of gaps of wisdom to help the teeming population to prosper in life.
This gap inspired me to learn chess and also teach people the game. This act of service led to my parth way to life triumphs,” said Onakoya, the founder of “ Chess in Slum Africa”
Although, Onakoya confessed that his journey to succeed in life was very terrifying, but he has was encouraged by the huge sacrifice his parents made from their little resources to ensure they make it in life. “My mother especially made amazing sacrifices doing many menial jobs to see that I acquired good education. It was his worthy sacrifice that has been the bedrock of my success till date.
He added, “it is also this inestimable sacrifice of my mother which led me to drop my own life ambitions to chase after lots of hopeless children in the slums at age 23”, Onakoya who initially objected to the publishing of the book said.
He emphatically and passionately appealed to parents and elders to sacrifice for the lifting of children to make a difference in life and community.
The global chess Champion also counsel children to imbibe the habit reading books, which according to him was his first positive exposure outside the slum, which also positively arrested his imagination and success influence.
In his speech, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, applauded the praiseworthy strength, sacrifice and character of Tunde’s parents in raising him and his siblings from the slum. Governor Sanwo-Olu, was represented by Dr. Mrs OreOluwa Finnih, Special Adviser to the Governor on SDG. She described the Governor as seasoned chess player, and stated that Onakoya’s biography is very insightful and inspiring project.
“ I have read the book, it is a book that inspires with the uncanny spirit of Tunde’s resilience, courage, humbling and never die spirit, which should be continued to be told to reshape the society to make people, our youths in particular to make a differences wherever they are despite the circumstances they found themselves in life. She recommended the book to youngster to read and learn from Onakoya’s impactful their lives to global sports fame.
The author and publisher of Onakoya’s biography, Lola Shoneyin, said the book was aimed at positively influencing youths and children with the right role models and their success stories. “With my vast experience in teaching children and reading stories to them, I have observed the powerful influence of book characters on children. Therefore, I believe that we can nurture children to better future leaders with greater heights success with books of real role models like Tunde Onakoya, a boy born in a slum with big dreams. Despite his disadvantaged background he was able to courageously rise to global sports fame with chess. And also learning, curiosity, humility , courage, determination and usual resilient spirit,” Shoneyin, Director, Ouida Books noted
Babatunde Onakoya, is a Lagos State-Nigerian chess Champion with multiple global accolades, recognitions and awards. He founded “ Chess in Slum Africa” in 2021, to change the lives of children in the slums of Nigeria such as Ikorodu, Ketu, Makoko, Oshodi under bridge in Lagos with chess knowledge impartation. Onakoya presently travels global to teach children chess in America, Europe and all over the world.
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