Tyrone Spong, the Surinamese-Dutch decorated kickboxing and MMA world champion, has announced a commitment to leverage his decades of international experience, deep industry expertise, and global professional network to accelerate sustainable development in his home country of Suriname, with youth empowerment at the core of his new initiative. The champion made the announcement Wednesday during a courtesy meeting with Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons, where he outlined his vision for unlocking the nation’s abundant untapped athletic potential.
Spong emphasized that organized sport serves as a transformative catalyst for the personal growth, confidence building, and long-term success of young people, but warned that current gaps in Suriname’s athletic infrastructure are holding emerging talent back. To address this barrier, he is calling for targeted public and private investment in updated sport infrastructure, accessible training facilities, and local gym spaces that create consistent opportunities for young athletes to develop their craft. “Options have to be created for these young people. We need proper facilities, training spaces, gyms – these are the foundational building blocks we have to put in place,” Spong said during the meeting.
As a former global world champion who emerged from Suriname, Spong says he is convinced the nation holds a wealth of unrecognized athletic talent across multiple disciplines. Nurturing that talent, he argues, requires both a shift in mindset and intentional, long-term investment from stakeholders. “We have to be willing to think outside the box and work together to turn these plans into results,” he added.
Beyond expanding sports opportunities, Spong made clear that his engagement with national development will extend far beyond the athletic sector. He plans to advocate for progress on public health, nature conservation, and environmental protection, noting that these issues are deeply interconnected to the success of youth and sport development. “Health, native flora and fauna, environmental protection – nothing is possible without a healthy society. We have to maintain balance between our communities and the natural world that sustains us,” Spong explained.
The combat sports legend also expressed unwavering confidence in the ability of Suriname’s youth to compete and succeed on the global stage, noting that countless gifted young athletes are already waiting for the right support and opportunities to break through internationally. “I worked hard to get where I am, and I know there is so much incredible talent here in Suriname. These young people can achieve the same success I found, if not more,” he said.
In a direct message to the nation’s youth, Spong encouraged young people to stay persistent in pursuing their goals: “Quitting is never an option. Keep pushing forward, because I was once a small boy from Suriname too.” During his talks with President Simons, the two sides discussed concrete pathways to leverage Spong’s international experience and professional connections to advance youth-focused and sports-led development initiatives across the country.