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8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York
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8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York

8-Year-Old Homeless Refugee Becomes Chess Champion In New York8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York, And His Life Has Changed CompletelyLife Of 8-Year-Old Homeless Nigerian Refugee Changes Completely After Winning A Chess Championship In New YorkThis Homeless 8-Year-Old Boy Was Dubbed A Chess Prodigy After Winning A Chess Tournament In New York8-Year-Old Boy Refugee From Nigeria Who Lives In A Shelter Just Won The New York Chess Championship8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York8 Year-Old Homeless Refugee From Nigeria Wins Chess Championship In New York
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A mere two years ago, now 8-year-old Tanitoluwa Adewumi was living in Nigeria with his mother, Oluwatoyin Adewumi, father Kayode Adewumi, and an older brother. Fast forward to today, Tanitoluwa is living in the Big Apple, with a chess championship victory under his belt and has caught the attention of media outlets worldwide. Tani, as New Yorkers call him, has been dubbed a chess prodigy, who, amazingly, started learning the game just last year but went undefeated in the NY tournament which took place last weekend. “I want to be the youngest grandmaster,” Tanitoluwa Adewumi said to the media. We’re all rooting for you, Tani!

More info: NYT

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    Image credits: Russell Makofsky

    Tanitoluwa won first place in the New York State Scholastic Championships tournament for kindergarten through third grade. With a huge grin and a trophy almost as big as he is, Tanitoluwa poses for a picture for his coach Russell Makofsky. Starting from last year, a lot has changed for him, but the future seems bright for this young and enthusiastic chess master.

    Image credits: Russell Makofsky

    Tanitoluwa didn’t have it easy – his Christian family left Nigeria two years ago, out of fear from attacks on Christians by Boko Haram terrorists. “I don’t want to lose any loved ones,” his father, Kayode Adewumi, told the media. In 2017, the Adewumi family arrived in New York and has been living in a homeless shelter there ever since. In New York, Tani was admitted to the local elementary school, P.S. 116, where he took a chess class and learned how to play. He liked the game so much, he prodded his mom, Oluwatoyin Adewumi, to ask if he could join the chess club.

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    Image credits: Russell Makofsky

    Russell Makofsky, who oversees the P.S. 116 chess program, agreed to take in Taki without paying the fee. A year ago, the boy took part in his first tournament and had the lowest rating of any participant. Today, he won the tournament undefeated. Although the family is having a hard time making ends meet, Tani’s mom still takes him every Saturday to practices in Harlem and attends all his tournaments. His dad gives the boy his laptop every evening so that he can practice. And although the family are devout Christians, Tani is allowed to skip Sunday church service if he has a tournament to attend.

    Image credits: Russell Makofsky

    “One year to get to this level, to climb a mountain and be the best of the best, without family resources,” Tani’s coach, Russell Makofsky, expressed his astonishment to the media. “I’ve never seen it.” The coach has also set up a Go Fund Me account for the Adewumi family – in just four days people have donated more than $180,000 and one benevolent person even offered the family an apartment they could live in. While giving an interview to the NBC News, the coach said that straight after the filming of the show, they are going to pack their stuff and move into their first New York home.

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    Image credits: Russell Makofsky

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    Neringa Utaraitė

    Neringa Utaraitė

    Author, Community member

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    Neringa is a proud writer at Bored Panda who used to study English and French linguistics. Although she has many different interests, she's particularly drawn to covering stories about pop culture as well as history. While not at the office, this Panda enjoys creepy movies, poetry, photography and learning how to play the piano.

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    Neringa Utaraitė

    Neringa Utaraitė

    Author, Community member

    Neringa is a proud writer at Bored Panda who used to study English and French linguistics. Although she has many different interests, she's particularly drawn to covering stories about pop culture as well as history. While not at the office, this Panda enjoys creepy movies, poetry, photography and learning how to play the piano.

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    Doober
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What an inspiring young man and an amazing family and community!

    Bumble
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I absolutely love it when strangers get so moved by someones story that they just give up some money to help them. It changes lives. Stories like this make me cry without fail. That kid is amazing too!

    Yman Aibolko
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Great achievement. Good job Tani. As a Nigerian, currently living in Nigeria, with my family, in a job, with personal property, cars, and a reasonably good life - I must mention that in the South here, the whole "escaping from Boko Haram" is known as ploy to cover economic migration. This is most especially so for people from/ in the South West [Where this family is from] who do NOT face the threat of Boko Haram as depicted. This area is a thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis [Google Lagos, Nigeria] Please do not get me wrong - I am very happy for them, and for Tani too! Good job, young Padowan!

    Nia Loves Art
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m sure that there are people who use it as a cover. There are also people legitimately in danger from Boko Haram. In any case the parents make the choice, not the kid.

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    Doober
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What an inspiring young man and an amazing family and community!

    Bumble
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I absolutely love it when strangers get so moved by someones story that they just give up some money to help them. It changes lives. Stories like this make me cry without fail. That kid is amazing too!

    Yman Aibolko
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Great achievement. Good job Tani. As a Nigerian, currently living in Nigeria, with my family, in a job, with personal property, cars, and a reasonably good life - I must mention that in the South here, the whole "escaping from Boko Haram" is known as ploy to cover economic migration. This is most especially so for people from/ in the South West [Where this family is from] who do NOT face the threat of Boko Haram as depicted. This area is a thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis [Google Lagos, Nigeria] Please do not get me wrong - I am very happy for them, and for Tani too! Good job, young Padowan!

    Nia Loves Art
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m sure that there are people who use it as a cover. There are also people legitimately in danger from Boko Haram. In any case the parents make the choice, not the kid.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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