By Victor Kanayo
A Nigerian athlete and chess champion Tanitoluwa Adewumi and his family have secured asylum in the United States of America.
The chess player who is 12 years old rose to sudden stardom in 2019 for winning the New York state chess championship for his division. He was then living with his family in a homeless shelter.
The Adewumis, comprising Tanitoluwa, his parents, and his older brother, arrived in New York after fleeing Nigeria in 2017 due to fear of terror attacks from Boko Haram.
They had sought religious asylum after the family arrived in the country, Punch quoting Washington Post confirmed Wednesday that the US officially granted the family asylum.
“We feel so relieved. Everybody is so happy,” Tani’s father, Kayode Adewumi said.
Asylum refers to protection or safety given by a government to people who have been forced to leave their own countries for their safety or because of war.
Tani’s chess career had been relatively stalled due of his pending asylum application, as he hadn’t been able to travel to tournaments abroad, impeding his ability to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a Chess Grandmaster.
