He won the world kickboxing championship after starting the sport to lose weight
The national athlete, who started sports against the teasing of his peers when he was overweight, won the gold medal at the organization in Italy.
Mert Can Akarsu, an 18-year-old national athlete of Selçuklu Belediyespor Club who started kickboxing at a young age to get rid of his excess weight in Konya, won the gold medal at the Youth World Kickboxing Championships in Italy.
A sports adventure that started at a young age
Operating within Selçuklu Belediyespor Club, 18-year-old national athlete Mert Can Akarsu achieved significant success in kickboxing, which he has been pursuing for about 8 years.
The path from overweight days to championship
Stating that he started sports at a very early age purely to lose weight, Akarsu expressed that he has come from days when he was mocked for being overweight to days where he achieved a world championship.
The gold medal won in Italy
Representing Turkey in the 86 kg Full Contact category at the Youth World Kickboxing Championships held in Italy, the athlete left behind tough opponents to reach the gold medal.
Future goal is the seniors category
The young athlete, who has achieved previous rankings in his career, aims to transition to the seniors category in 2027 and continue his international successes along with a weight class change.