SHOWING 'FIRE AND DRIVE'

SEA Games weight class being dropped a blessing as Tang wins BJJ world gold

- Deepanraj Ganesan

When mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Garie Tang discovered that his weight category had been dropped from the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand, the Singaporean was disappointed.

The omission of the ne-waza nogi 56kg category-in which he won back-to-back Games silver medals - also ended his bid for a fourth consecutive appearance at the biennial meet.

But the initial setback proved a blessing in disguise, with the 35-year-old rebounding in style by winning gold in the brown-belt master 1 division at the Dec 11-14 World International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation (IBJJF) Jiu-jitsu No-Gi Championship in Las Vegas.

It is Tang's first title at the annual competition.

Tang, who defeated three opponents to stand atop the podium at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Dec 12, said: "I won't say that it (not going to the Games) motivated me (to win the No-Gi championship), but I think I look back on it as more of a blessing in disguise.

"If I had qualified for the SEA Games, I would not have been able to travel and go to this competition. And this is something I have been chasing for a while too." Triumph had also come against adversity.