Chief Sanya Atofarati, the Osagunrin of Igunrin, Ilawe Ekiti, has announced his intention to break the Guinness World Record for the longest marathon watching television.
The Ekiti traditional chief and community leader will start his challenge on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at 1 am, and will end it on Monday, January 1, 2024, at 1 am, in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
He will attempt to watch TV for 120 hours without interruption, surpassing the current record of 94 hours set by Alejandro Fragoso, a web developer from Tokyo in New York, in 2016.
Atofarati issued a statement on Wednesday, explaining his motivation and preparation for the challenge. He said that he wants to use the opportunity to raise awareness for information gathering and dissemination in Africa, and to showcase the quality and diversity of African culture and people.
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A quest to promote personal and communal development
Atofarati said that he is not doing the challenge for fundraising or fame, but for personal and communal development. He said that he will welcome every criticism and opinion, both for and against, for his own improvement.
He also said that he will enjoy bonding and merrymaking with his family and friends, as he will watch TV at home throughout the festive season, and will not go out for work, community engagement, or social activities.
He added that he will have his medical aids on the ground to ensure his health and safety, and that he will live-stream his concentration on the challenge to provide a real-time assessment by the public.
He also revealed that he will use the hashtag #ChiefSanya and #GWRchiefsanya to share his progress and interact with his followers on social media.
A platform to support and inspire younger acts
Atofarati also said that he will use his platform to support and inspire younger acts, especially in the creative industry. He said that his digital studio will be open to volunteer producers, who will record a free track each for 50 artists. He also invited volunteer DJs to join him on his endurance journey.
He said that he has lived over four decades on earth with an unending appetite for communal growth and development as a traditional chief. He said that he has realised that information is the key to bridging the gap between the developed and underdeveloped continents in the world.
He said that he hopes to win the challenge and get a global audience to further propagate the quality of a black man through the exhibition of his personal crafts. He said that he is a farmer, a sculptor, an impressionist, a songwriter, and more.
He also said that he wants to let the world know that he hails from a town (Ilawe-Ekiti) where banana grows like flowers and is one of the largest producers.
He said that he got approval from the Guinness World Records to submit his evidence at a time when the world is celebrating Christmas and New Year festivals, which he considers a blessing and a privilege.
What is the current record for other categories of GWR?
There are many categories of Guinness World Records (GWR), which are the official records of the world’s most amazing feats and achievements. Some of the current records for other categories of GWR are:
The longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female) belong to Ayanna Williams of the USA, who had nails with a combined length of 733.55 cm (24 ft 0.7 in) as of February 7, 2017.
The most expensive car sold at auction is a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which was sold for $48,405,000 (£37,520,000) at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, California, USA, on August 25, 2018.
The largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia belongs to Steve Sansweet of the USA, who has amassed 393,041 items as of May 15, 2015.
The most viewed YouTube video is “Baby Shark Dance” by Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories, which has been viewed over 9.2 billion times as of December 22, 2021.
The oldest person ever is Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days, from February 21, 1875, to August 4, 1997.