MULTI-TALENTED EFEKORO PLOTS NEW MOVE
By Andrea Prusik for ArmoryTrack.com
NEW YORK (4-Jan) -- Oghenakpobo Efekoro, a senior at Forest Hills High School in Queens, is well known at The Armory as a talented and successful shot putter. However, “Pobo” may be even more famous for an entirely different sport: Chess.
Before he began competing for Forest Hills High, Efekoro was a competitive chess player at Brooklyn I.S. 318, where he was part of a middle school team that won a national championship and was featured in the highly acclaimed documentary “Brooklyn Castle.”
At the Hispanic Games on Saturday, Efekoro placed second with a throw of 57 feet 1.25 inches, just shy of his 59-9 personal best set at the PSAL Holiday Classic on Dec. 29. That mark ranks him as the second best high school shot putter in the nation, right behind Saturday’s winner, Benjamin Bonhurst of Smithtown East.
Being one of the best shot putters in all of America could make some athletes feel nervous. Pobo is no stranger to pressure, though, and finds that the skills he learned as a top-notch chess player help him succeed as an athlete.
“Being involved with the chess team helped me learn mental toughness,” Ekeforo said.
Though he notes there are some differences between athletic competition and the mental calculations and thought processes involved with playing chess, Efekoro says both skills require mental toughness and concentrated focus.
In middle school, Efekoro won five national chess championships in his three years of competition. “Brooklyn Castle” detailed I.S. 318’s success but centered on him.
Despite their accomplishments, the middle school chess team faced looming budget cuts every year, threatening the livelihood of the program. This led Ekeforo to petition Congress to continue funding afterschool programs, which attracted a wave of media attention, including an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Ekeforo’s mental toughness shines through when he is in the shot put ring. At the Hispanic Games, he faced tough competition in Bonhurst, who has become a friendly rival.
“Competition with Benjamin absolutely helps to keep me sharp,” Ekeforo said. “But I try not to follow everybody. I just go out there and just throw.”
Ekeforo was leading Bonhurst through five of the six rounds of throws. On this sixth, Bonhurst bumped ahead with a winning mark of 59 feet.
Ekeforo looks to continue a strong senior season and perform well at the upcoming state championships indoors and outdoors this spring. Beyond that, Ekeforo will compete at the University of Connecticut to continue his athletic career.
“When I mention UConn it’s a big smile that comes over my face,” Ekeforo said. “The two coaches, coach (Greg) Roy and coach (Rich) Miller are both great and have been there a long time. Having a head coach who was a thrower is great. It’s going to be an honor to represent UConn as a track and field athlete.”
