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| Image: Google |
Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess-In-Slums, Tunde Onakoya, delivered a powerful keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 United Nations Games held in New York on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old took to Instagram on Thursday to reflect on the experience, describing it as a surreal and humbling moment. It marked his first official invitation to a United Nations conference as a special guest.
Onakoya shared the stage with global sports icons such as Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and former Italian footballer Giorgio Chiellini. Despite initial nerves, he said he found strength in his story and the children he represents.
“I felt a wave of nerves and doubt,” he wrote, “but a quiet truth anchored me: I belonged here. Not despite my journey, but because of it.”
He spoke passionately about the power of chess as a universal language that cuts across race, class, borders, and disabilities. Onakoya highlighted the work he has been doing through Chess-In-Slums and The Gift of Chess, using the game to empower underprivileged children and help them believe in their place in the world.
As he concluded his address, Onakoya invited a group of children and his friend Russ to join him on stage. They had travelled together from Atlanta and barely made it through New York’s heavy traffic in time for his speech.
In a moment that moved the entire room, one of the young girls from the group took the microphone and delivered a heartfelt message that earned a standing ovation.
“The spotlight wasn’t just mine—it was theirs too,” Onakoya said. “They didn’t just share it, they lit it up. Their story is fast becoming one the world can no longer ignore.”
He ended his post with an emotional note, saying, “My heart is full. Our dreams are truly valid.”
#TundeOnakoya
#ChessInSlum
#UnitedNations
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