Three Nigerian teenagers, Gbenga Ezekiel, Philip Solomon and Dunsin Dubem have broken the Guinness World Record GWR for multiple skipping times.
According to the global record body, 18 year old Gbenga Ezekiel had the most skips in one minute on one leg (278), breaking his own record of 265, and the most double under skips in one minute on one leg (144), beating the previous record of 132, set by India’s Himanshu Prajapati in 2021.
GWR also noted that 16-year old Philip Solomon on the same day broke one of Himanshu’s records for the most rope crossovers while skipping on one leg in 30 seconds (69) and equalled another for the most rope crossovers while skipping on one leg in 30 seconds blindfolded (62).
GWR revealed that
this would be Philip’s second and third Guinness World Records titles, afte he earned his first in early 2023 after performing the most skips in 30 seconds on one foot (153).
The third record breaker according to GWR is 16-year-old Dunsin Dubem, who it said achieved the most double under crossovers while skipping in 30 seconds (78), surpassing the previous record by five.
According to Guiness World Record, the trio of Gbenga, Philip, and Dunsin began skipping at age 14-15, and they were coached by Ukandu Chibuisi in the city of Akure, Ondo.
After they found themselves unable to participate in the World Jump Rope Championships due to lack of funding, Gbenga, Philip, and Dunsin turned their attention to breaking world records.
“With the advice and training from our coach we decided to focus on breaking as many Guinness World Records titles as we can,” Philip said.
Their Coach, Ukandu Chibuisi designed training programmes for the teens, who practised “intensively” every day after school to prepare for their record attempts.
“When we complain, he will tell us that hard training is the only sacrifice for winning a world record,” said Philip.
Juggling schoolwork and training proved to be a challenge, however, they never skipped a session, despite having to walk an hour from school to the stadium where they trained. “It wasn’t easy at all,” Gbenga recalls.
“Fortunately, their dedication paid off, and they were able to claim some hotly contested world records which have changed hands numerous times over the past few years”, GWR wrote.
The trio together with Coach Chibuisi, they have also started an initiative called “Rope Skipping in My School”, aimed at promoting the sport of skipping to students in both urban and rural communities.
“We are discovering new, young, talented rope skippers,” Philip said.
“Someday they will also be Guinness World Records title holders.”
