ABEOKUTA – Okemakinde Toluwanimi of Edo State emerged winner of the maiden U25 Chess Championship held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The two-day event organized by Cyntoco Services Limited in collaboration with Ogun State Chess Association witnessed unprecedented turnout with 40 participants from seven states.
The represented states are, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Kwara and Bayelsa.
Okemakinde ranked 9points ahead of Oyakhiloma David Oise of Ogun State who polled 8points and Okuwosa Joshua Ifeanyi of Team Anambra state with 8 points.
Speaking shortly after emerging winner, Okemakinde attributed his triumph to consistency and hardwork.
The 24-year-old said the competition would further prepare for future challenges, especially the upcoming Nigeria Friends of Chess (NFOC) holding in Lagos state.
He commended Cyntoco Services Limited for creating a platform for young chess players in Nigeria to exhibit their talent
Commenting, the organizer, Cynthia Madu pointed out that, the essence of the competition was to create awareness about the chess game among Nigerian youths.
According to her, the championship will enable the association to discover raw talents and prepare them ahead of the intermediate youth games coming up in Lagos in September, 2026.
“I’m so happy with the turn out because within a few days of the announcement, about 40 players registered for this event. It shows the zeal and preparedness of our young players to tap into any available opportunity.
“We are organizing this to further create awareness about chess game. We need to inculcate the game into the minds of Nigerian youths. Chess is a game of knowledge, it improves the thinking faculty and helps to sharpen the minds.
“I want to assure the players that, this will not be a one-off event, we will at all times come back to improve on what we have been able to achieve this year.”
Reacting, the State Coach, Ogun State Chess Association, Ms Oluwaseun Assa appreciated the organizer for providing a verifiable platform for the young players.
Ms Assa said the competition would enhance the interest of secondary school students in the game of chess and prepare the junior players for future competitions.
She assured new talents discovered during the event would be monitored and nurtured for greatness.
Meanwhile, Okemakinde went home with the sum of N250,000, while the first runner up, David Oyakhiloma of Ogun State won N150,000 and Anambra’s Okuwosa Joshua Ifeanyi won the sum of N100,000 as the 3rd prize winner.
Azumi Ayisha Suleiman won the Best Female Chess player while 14year-old Ariyo Yusrullah Badru won the Best U14 junior.
