Wollaston student wins world martial arts gold for England

A student from Wollaston near Stourbridge has come home from a world martial arts championship with a gold and two silver medals, after representing England against fighters from 35 countries.

Sam Hayes competed at the ICO World Combat Martial Arts Championships in Thonon-les-Bains, in France near the Swiss border, as one of six members of the Young Gloves Karate club chosen for Team England at the four-day event.

"Going for gold in every event"

"I was obviously going for gold in every event I entered, so I am very proud of the hard work I've put in and for the time and guidance of my coaches," Sam said.

"There were around 1,200 total competitors across all events from all over the world. I ended up fighting an American, a South African twice and an Irishman."

He said he was proud of both his club and the wider England squad, and although he is not yet sure when his next competition will be, he has already picked out parts of his performance he wants to improve.

A club with 24 medals

Young Gloves Karate, a martial arts school in Kidderminster founded in 1999, had a remarkable championships. Its fighters brought home 24 medals between them: 13 gold, seven silver and four bronze. That put the club second in the medal table, behind only the United States, and England also finished second overall.

The medals came across a range of disciplines, including traditional kata, different styles of karate, weapons and kumite, the sparring discipline where two fighters face each other.

"A credit to their families"

Justin Thomas BEM, the club's founder and senior instructor, said: "I'm incredibly proud of this squad, not just for what they've achieved in France, but for the people they are and the way they come together as a team."

"They are humble, grounded, loyal and respectful. They play together, work together and support one another, both on and off the mat," he said. "They've represented England, Young Gloves Karate and our local community brilliantly. They are a credit to their families and themselves."

Local clubs, world stage

The success of a small club from Kidderminster on a world stage shows what dedicated coaching and community sport can achieve.

For Sam, the medals are a reward for years of training and for the support of his coaches. Having faced opponents from the United States, South Africa and Ireland on his way to the podium, he now knows he can compete with the best in the world, and he is already working out where he can improve before his next competition.