My Lucky Special Superpower
Every morning, I start my day by counting the blessings in my life. For me, gratitude is the fountain of happiness and humility. Luck plays a big role in life, and I never want to forget it. Today, I reflected upon the powerful voice that ONE Championship has given me, and my responsibility to use it wisely. Through the poignant storytelling of our real-life superheroes at ONE Championship, we have the awesome power to ignite hope, create dreams, inspire nations, and change the world.
As Asia's largest sports media property with a global broadcast to 118 countries around the world, ONE Championship has blessed me with the special superpower to change the world in a way that reflects my values and who I am. The vast majority of the greatest World Champions in history have had to conquer unfathomable poverty, tremendous adversity, unspeakable tragedy, and impossible odds to achieve their dreams in life. I want to introduce these real-life superheroes to the world so that they may inspire billions across all segments of society to live their dreams in life. I want to share the extraordinary, against-all-odds life stories of the greatest martial artists so that the entire continent of Asia can be elevated with hope, strength, and inspiration.
There are many injustices in this world, but a few that really do not sit well with me: income inequality, gender inequality, education inequality, and racial inequality. I know that ONE Championship can help alleviate some of these issues. Angela Lee is a great example of one of our female superheroes who will help to inspire women to do more, achieve more, and be more in life. Another wonderful inspirational superhero is Bibiano Fernandes; he grew up on the Amazon river in extreme poverty in Brazil without daily food and today he is one of the greatest World Champions in history. Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and his remarkable life story is also yet another a living testament that poverty is something that can be conquered through work ethic, sacrifice, dedication, and humility. Eduard Folayang grew up in an impoverished family with illiterate parents, and 5 of his 9 siblings passed away due to lack of basic medical care. Through the power of martial arts, he became the first person in his family to receive a university degree, and he eventually became a World Champion in ONE Championship. His inspirational life story is woven with suffering, tragedy, and heartbreak...and the triumphant overcoming of them. Amir Khan is yet another example of greatness unleashed; he was born with Tourette’s Syndrome, but still managed to rise against all odds to become one of Singapore’s greatest fighters in history. I am truly inspired by the countless examples of real-life superheroes in ONE Championship.
I truly believe in the magic of hope, strength, and inspiration to change the world, and I will continue to use my special superpower to unleash greatness in the world.
Chatri Sityodtong is a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist from Thailand. His rags-to-riches life story has inspired millions around the world on BBC News, CNN, Financial Times, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Channel NewsAsia, Harvard Business School, Sports Illustrated, and many other major media. He is currently the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia's largest global sports media property in history with a global broadcast to over 1 billion potential viewers across 118 countries around the world. Forbes most recently selected Sityodtong as one of Asia's next generation tycoons. He was also named "Asia's King of Martial Arts" by the Financial Times and the “Most Powerful Person in Martial Arts in Asia” by Yahoo! Sports and International Business Times. He is also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD, Europe's top business school. Sityodtong holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Tufts University.