16-year-old August Tange wins Thai boxing world title

Sixteen-year-old August Tange has become a Thai boxing world champion, winning his age and weight categories at the championships in Madrid over the weekend, DR reports.

Tange, who lives in Vadum in northern Jutland, won the title in the 15-17 age group and the 70.1-75 kilogram weight class. He returned home on Sunday with the belt.

“It feels fantastic,” he said. Tange added that people in his hometown had flown flags for him and often congratulated him when he was out walking.

He is in his first year of upper secondary school and trains 11 times a week, both before and after classes. Asked why he chose a sport where he can get hurt, or even knocked unconscious, he said it was difficult to explain, but that fighting could offer an outlet for emotions.

Tange’s ambitions extend beyond his new title. He hopes to travel to Thailand and compete in One Championship, where he says fighters wear MMA gloves rather than traditional boxing gloves.