SportsStranded Nigerian Chess Champion 'Broken and Traumatised'

Stranded Nigerian Chess Champion ‘Broken and Traumatised’

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BEVERLY HILLS, June 26, (THEWILL) – Nigerian chess player, Oladapo Adu, says he is “traumatised” as he remains stranded in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 12 weeks after being stuck abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Adu travelled from USA to Freetown, Sierra Leone where he represented Nigeria at the Zone 4.2 Individual Chess Championship which ended on 20 March, but he has been prevented from coming back to Nigeria due to flight restrictions and border closures also.

Speaking with BBC Africa, the Nigerian champion said he is presently staying with the Ivorian competitor in the tournament, Simplice Delgundo.

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“This is so traumatising and demoralising – I am living with strangers in a strange land,” Adu told BBC Sport Africa.

Adu who could not get a flight from Freetown to Lagos, embarked on a road trip to Lagos but was not allowed into Ghana at the Ivory Coast-Ghana border by Ghanaian police.

“The coronavirus had been in the news but not serious to stop the championship from going on. Suddenly, the situation heightened and we had to end the championship on the 20 March. My return flight was scheduled for 22 March but Air Cote d’ivoire cancelled all its flights due to the pandemic.”

Adu, who holds the record as the only player to have won the championship back to back, hopes to cement his print on Chess Championship in Africa but said the recent development has left him “disappointed and broken” as both the Chess Federation and the Nigerian Government have deserted him.

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“I left the USA to Freetown to represent Nigeria and this is all I get for it – nothing,” he said.

“This is a tournament I have won twice in the past. On record, I am the only player that has won this tournament back to back.

“I am disappointed and broken. I have to control my emotions – I have so much bottled up in me.”

According to him, the journey by road from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Abidjan took him three days. He went on the trip with a Ghanaian and an Ivorian who both competed at the same Chess Championship.

“It took us three days to reach Abidjan from Freetown by road,” he explained.
“The Ivorian stayed back in Liberia while the Ghanaian and I proceeded to Abidjan and on to the Ivory Coast-Ghana border.”

He narrated that the Ghanaian player was let into his country while he was restricted from crossing into Ghana and was escorted back to Ivory Coast by the Ghanaian Police.

Adu further disclosed that the situation got worrisome as his luggage got lost at the border post and he is yet to be reconnected with it.

A top Ivory Coast chess player, Delgundo, has helped the Nigerian with finding a room in which three others also slept.

“Simplice has done so much for me and has been of great help – I would have been on the streets with nowhere to go without him,” Adu said.

The Chess Champions have since sought help from the Nigerian embassy, but nothing came out of it and no support has come from the Nigerian Chess Federation either.

However, the President of the Nigerian Chess Federation, Adeyemi Lekan, had stated that he has been in touch with Adu and he has also communicated to the Sports Ministry on his behalf and he also stated that an agreement has been reached with the Ivory Coast Chess Federation president to provide a monthly sum of $200 to Adu for his upkeep.

“The situation is beyond our jurisdiction as a body,” said Lekan.

He added: “I met with the board and we concluded that as a Federation we can only ensure he is comfortable while stuck in Abidjan.

“Ivory Coast Chess Federation president provides $200 for his monthly upkeep. If that is not enough, he should let us know.”

However, Adu, has stated that he has not received any money from the Ivory Coast Federation President, Essis Essoh.

He confirmed: “I have not received any money from the Ivory coast Chess Federation President. The NCF president had a meeting with his board members but nothing came out of it. They have done nothing to alleviate the situation.”

Ivory Coast Chess Federation President has also affirmed Adu’s claims, stressing that he was not directed to provide a $200 monthly sum to Adu but to pay only a one-time payment of $172 to Ivorian Chess player, Simplice that accommodated the Nigerian.

As at the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Sports ministry is yet to respond to questions from the BBC.

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