Shannon Wiratchai to Face Rasul Yakhyaev in One Lightweight World Championship Title Eliminator

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held a kick-off press conference ahead of the highly-anticipated live event, ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD, which takes place 9 December at the Impact Arena in Bangkok and is held in collaboration with Havoline. Headlining the event is ONE Superstar, top lightweight contender Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai as well as the challenger, Rasul Yakhyaev of Russia. Also in attendance was Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, and ONE President of Thailand, Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, as well as ONE Championship athletes Rika Ishige, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Kritsada Kongsrichai and Sagetdao Petpayathai.

The main event bout has been announced as a lightweight title eliminator, with the winner going on to challenge the ONE Lightweight World Champion.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD is available at www.onefc.com.

Official photos from the ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD Press Conference at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dQXq2Z3E5YHr9fPt1

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Bangkok is one of the most amazing places in the world to hold a live sporting event because the fans are so passionate and energetic. The atmosphere we create at the Impact Arena is unique and you have to experience it firsthand to understand the kind of electricity that flows through the stadium. This main event we have lined up is sure to produce fireworks as Thailand’s biggest martial arts star, Shannon Wiratchai, showcases his skills inside the ONE Championship cage against Russia’s Rasul Yakhyaev.”

Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, ONE President of Thailand, stated: “It’s going to be another amazing evening of world-class martial arts action. There really is no place like home, and I am excited every time we have a ONE Championship event here in my city. ONE has been relentless in its pursuit to give fans adrenaline-pumping action from start to finish, and ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD will certainly aim to be the most exciting show in the history of Thailand.”

Lennard Kwek, Asia Pacific Marketing Manager, Chevron, stated: "We are thrilled to announce the renewal of this massive partnership with ONE Championship, the largest sports media property in Asian history. The values of ONE & the strength of the athletes, resonate deeply to the core of Havoline on genuine strength. Caltex Havoline believes that, just like the bouts in the ONE Championship cage, our vehicles often face difficult conditions on the road. But with a proven fighter against friction, wear and sludge deposits, you can be sure that you will have a smooth and worry-free ride. We are excited at the possibilities and the opportunities for growth in both companies.”

Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Superstar, stated: “I would like to thank all the Thai people, and all fans of martial arts for the support. If you’re a fan of non-stop action and excitement, come and see us at the Impact Arena on 9 December. It’s going to be an amazing show. I am preparing very hard so that I can make Thailand proud. I know my opponent is incredibly well-rounded and highly-skilled, so I will surely not be taking him lightly. It’s going to be an absolute battle from beginning to end.”

Rasul Yakhyaev, stated: “After some time, I have returned to ONE Championship, seeking victory. I have improved so much as a martial artist in my time away. Now, I am confident in all of my skills. I am coming to Thailand to take on its toughest warrior. Thank you to ONE for the opportunity of a lifetime, I will definitely bring my best inside the cage.”

Rika Ishige, stated: “We can never really lose. Either we win, or we learn, and in that sense, there is victory in every defeat. Defeat is part of the game, it’s part of life. The most important thing is that we get back up and keep fighting for our dreams. I am honored to be part of this event, to represent Thailand as its first professional martial arts star. Come see us on 9 December, it’s a show you won’t want to miss.”

Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, former ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “I am ready to continue my quest in becoming the best martial artist I can be. I was once at the top, once the champion, and there is nothing I want more than to get back to that status. Whoever I have to face, whoever they put in front of me, better be ready for what I’m bringing into the cage. I am proud to represent Thailand on the biggest international stage of competition.”

Kritsada Kongsrichai, stated: “As a newcomer to this game, it’s definitely something that I have had to learn. The complete set of martial arts, from striking to grappling, is something that requires a great deal of discipline and determination to adapt to. I vow to showcase my improvements in this next bout and show what I plan for my future.”

Sagetdao Petpayathai, stated: “I am in this to prove my skills and my heart as a warrior. It doesn’t matter who I am matched up against. What matters is that I am prepared well and that I am in great physical condition. Everyday I put myself through the rigors of training to become the best martial artist I can be. I am excited for 9 December so that I can get back inside the cage and do what I love.”

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is a staple in exciting and memorable battles inside the ONE Championship cage. A mainstay of Bangkok Fight Lab, he trains in various martial arts disciplines at home in Bangkok, including Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. An offensive innovator, Wiratchai likes to be creative with his striking, employing a myriad of unpredictable off-angle elbows and kicks. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways as he headlines ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in the main event bout against Rasul Yakhyaev.

26-year-old Rasul Yakhyaev of Grozny, Russia is a lightweight martial arts star who has racked up a solid following over his seven year professional career. He is adept in both striking and mat techniques, and is considered a solid contender with tremendous combat skills. A well-rounded warrior, four of Yakhyaev’s victories have come by submission while three have come by knockout. He made his ONE Championship debut in December of 2015, falling to Lowen Tynanes by submission. Yakhyaev now seeks redemption as he takes on Shannon Wiratchai.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Bangkok, Thailand. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned pro earlier this year. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive submission as she has been able to showcase her impressive grappling skills.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion who has a 8-2 record as a professional martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative combinations. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is a seasoned veteran. In his last bout, Dejdamrong defeated the Philippines’ Robin Catalan with his patented knee strikes.

Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai is a Thai national wrestling champion, and has a 5-3 record as a professional martial artist. He has not gone the distance yet in his young career, having three knockouts and two submissions under his belt. He made his ONE Championship debut in the promotion’s first-ever Bangkok show in May 2016, where Kongsrichai delighted his hometown fans with a spectacular performance, stopping opponent Kev Hemmorlor via first-round technical knockout.

30-year-old Sagetdao Petpayathai is a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. He made his professional cage debut last March at home in Bangkok, defeating Malaysia’s Kelvin Ong via first-round technical knockout. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Petpayathai is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. In his last bout, Petpayathai stopped Mahmoud Mohamed in the first round to improve his record to 2-0.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

The 5th ASEAN Energy Outlook: ASEAN is on Track to Reach Their Energy Intensity Target

During the press conference for the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and Associated Meetings today, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) announced the launch of the 5th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO5). The Philippine Secretary of Energy, Alfonso G. Cusi, stated, “The Outlook provides us with pathway to address our long-term goals of achieving energy security, accessibility and affordability within the framework of sustainable development, as guided by our policy document, the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.”

The AEO5 was developed based on the energy policies and targets of 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS). The final results of AEO5 are in-line with AMS’ expectations of their future energy landscape, in particular with their national expectations of future economic and population growth.

ASEAN energy demand continues to surpass global growth, mainly driven by its targeted economic growth of 5.4% per year into 2025. The Total Primary Energy Supply is expected to increase by a factor of 2.3 times over the period of 2015 to 2040. However, through a combination of energy efficiency (EE) efforts and renewable energy (RE) contributions, energy savings of about 25 % could be realised.

Electric power capacity in the region is projected to triple over the period to cope with the strongly rising electricity demand in ASEAN, which contributes to a considerable reduction of traditional biomass usage in the region.

Overall, the AEO5 indicates that ASEAN is well on track to reach the APAEC energy intensity reduction target of 20% by 2020 and 30% by 2025 based on the 2005 level.

The region’s aspirational target to increase the share of RE to 23% by 2025 in the energy mix will require further enhanced efforts from all stakeholders. As ASEAN is strongly committed to reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector intervention over the long-term, substantial reductions of 16% carbon intensity levels from the present value are projected to be realised in 2040.

“We believe that AEO5 will contribute to broad appreciation of the challenges of energy security, accessibility and affordability in driving economic prosperity, social development and environment sustainability within the framework of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC),” Dr. Sanjayan Velautham, ACE Executive Director, stated during the press conference. The AEO5 was presented to the Ministers during the 35th AMEM, and the Ministers acknowledged that the AEO5 outlines the feasibility of achieving substantial energy savings through significant EE and RE injections, as demonstrated in the advanced scenarios.

The AEO5 is a joint output of ACE with the active involvement of all 10 AMS under the directive of the Regional Energy Policy and Planning Sub-sector Network, and is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the ASEAN-German Energy Programme (AGEP). Maria-José Poddey, Principal Advisor for AGEP, GIZ mentioned, “We trust that the AEO5 will be of benefit to policymakers and stakeholders to develop policy frameworks that ensure sustainable energy security in each AMS and the region.”

The 5th ASEAN Energy Outlook is available on www.aseanenergy.org

ASEAN Ministers to Enhance Energy Cooperation

AMEM REPORTS: Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi and delegates meet the press in concluding the 35th ASEAN Ministers Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings (AMEM35) at the Conrad Hotel. In photo along with AMEM35 Chair and Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi (center) are (L-R) ASEAN Center for Energy Executive Director Dr. Sanjayan Velautham, ASEAN Secretariat Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN Community and Corporate Affairs AKP Mochtan PhD, AMEM35 Vice Chair and Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, and International Renewable Energy Agency Director General Adnan Amin.

(Manila, Philippines). ASEAN Member States (AMS) together with the ASEAN Secretariat, development partners and stakeholders have agreed on various energy cooperation projects to propel regional economic progress.

At the conclusion of the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35), the Philippines' Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi pointed out that the agreements on enhanced cooperation are intended to achieve a “One ASEAN Community Through Resilient and Sustainable Energy.”

The series of AMEM35 meetings included the 14th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) Ministers on Energy Meeting; the First AMEM-International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Dialogue; the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF); and the 11th East Asia Summit-Energy Ministers Meeting or the AMEM+8 (Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russian Federation and the US).

Regional Energy Policy and Planning

The AMS, development partners and affiliate international organizations discussed the outlook for global and ASEAN energy and member states’ support for the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

They agreed on the need for sustained cooperation to ensure security of energy supply and promote a low-carbon energy sector.

The AMS also gave due recognition to best practices and developments in the energy industry through the ASEAN Energy Awards.

Renewable Energy

The AMS agreed to boost efforts to attain ASEAN’s aspirational target of 23% Renewable Energy (RE) share in the region-wide energy mix by 2025.

The Ministers were also united in forging sustainable renewable energy cooperation together with the active participation of IRENA.

"We have a long way to go, so we have devised a Renewable Energy Outlook as guide to narrow the gap on the RE initiatives in the region,” Cusi said.

Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP)

The AMS agreed to ensure accessibility and security of oil and gas supply in the region, through their continuing efforts on the intra-ASEAN Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Cooperation initiated by the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE).

The participants also stressed the pivotal role of natural gas to the region’s sustainable growth and the need to implement the long-term goal of open access to gas markets in the region; identify commercial opportunities; share best practices; and enhance policy development.

Clean Coal Technology

The AMS acknowledged the importance of promoting highly efficient and clean coal technologies in the regional drive to lower carbon emissions and a more sustainable future for the region and the world. At present, coal continues to be a major fuel source in the region.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

The AMS agreed to work towards achieving by 2020 the ASEAN’s energy intensity reduction target by 20% based on 2005 levels. Currently, the ASEAN is at 18.3% level.

The Energy Ministers emphasized the need to foster innovative solutions and encourage countries to continue information sharing, best practices, capacity building, better business models and other alternative and emerging efficient energy technologies.

Civilian Nuclear Energy

The AMS discussed how to enhance the Member States’ capabilities on civilian nuclear energy for its safe and efficient development. The AMS invited development partners who are experts in the field, including Canada, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, to share their experiences.

ASEAN Power Grid

The AMS has already embarked on multilateral electricity trade in the ASEAN Power Grid through the signing of the Phase 1 of the Energy Purchase and Wheeling Agreement among Lao PDR, Thailand and Malaysia under the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP).

ASEAN Energy Investment

The AMS agreed to target an increase in the average GDP growth to 6% across the region, and recognized the vital role of the private sector and their active participation in the ASEAN region. The AMEM35 and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum had a joint opening ceremony to underscore the fact that the ASEAN is a sweet spot for business growth and development.

Finally, Cusi said: “The Philippines takes pride in hosting the AMEM35 as this showcases not only our capability to manage an international energy event, but the beauty and culture of the country as well the talents and hospitality of Filipinos.”