Kickboxing glory for youngsters

FIVE local teenagers have just returned from the Italian coastal town of Jesolo where they competed as part of the Great Britain squad at the WAKO European Youth kickboxing championships.

- By JAMES BOVINGTON

Liam Little with his trophy

Two of the boys, Liam Little and Ryan Tweddle, secured Britain’s first ever gold and bronze medals respectively.

Liam, 17, took gold after beating tough opposition from Turkish and Spanish athletes but dominated the bouts with successive knockdowns to win by decision.

This made him the first British athlete ever to win a gold in the K1 style of kickboxing in an international tournament, according to accompanying coach Tony Cunningham, who trains the boys at Millennium Martial Arts in Blyth.

“J still can’t believe I did it,’ said Liam. “I’ve been training since I was six and it’s always been my dream to be a champion and now I’ve achieved at the highest level.”

Liam's sister Lauren described “how very proud I am of him. He's always been 100% committed to kickboxing. All that hard work has paid off”

Ryan, 16, beat a Polish kickboxer for a semifinal place against the defending champion.