Coronavirus fears leads to ONE Championship holding event without fans in attendance
ONE Championship officials have announced that fans will now not be in attendance for ONE: King of the Jungle on February 28 due to fears of the Coronavirus outbreak, which originated in China, but has spread across Asia and the world.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong made the announcement today on Facebook.
“BREAKING NEWS: In light of the coronavirus situation in Singapore, I have made the decision to convert ONE: King of the Jungle on February 28 into a closed event for broadcast only. The Singapore Indoor Stadium will not be open to the general public, but the event will proceed behind closed doors as scheduled live on all TV and digital platforms across 150+ countries around the world. If you purchased tickets to attend the event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, you will receive a full refund. Catch the event live on TV from the comfort of your home on February 28!
My team and I had the option to cancel the event altogether, but we chose not to cancel it. More than ever, the world needs hope and strength right now. Our heroes are prepared to inspire you with the greatest performances of their lives on February 28. We are here to give all of our fans around the world another magical night to celebrate the best of humanity. At ONE Championship, our mission since Day 1 has been to unleash real-life superheroes who ignite the world with hope, strength, dreams, and inspiration.
Let us unite as a country and let us show strength as a continent to conquer this coronavirus. Let us celebrate what makes us special, what makes us strong, what makes us human. A ship is not made to sit in the calm waters of a harbor. It is made to conquer the rough seas in search of new horizons. With love, compassion, and resilience, we will get through these tough times together. Majulah Singapura! Jiayou China! #WeAreONE”
Common signs of the coronavirus infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Sityodtong wrote that any fan who had a ticket to ONE: King of the Jungle will be refunded in full. The event will still be broadcast to more than 150 countries, he added.
Singapore had 77 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Monday, according to the Straits Times. Of that 77, 53 people diagnosed with the virus are still hospitalized. According to CNN, there have been more than 70,000 cases of coronavirus confirmed worldwide and 1,770 deaths.
ONE Championship recently moved its April 10 card from Chongqing, China to Jakarta, Indonesia.
