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

Liam, 17, won the gold medal after defeating tough opponents from Turkey and Spain, dominating the bouts with successive knockdowns to secure victory 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 Millenium Martial Arts in Blyth.

"I 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 it 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 semi-final place against the defending champion. “Ryan’s first bout was a high-energy, fast-paced fight,” explained Cunningham. “Unfortunately, in the second bout Ryan left it a little late to score, although he was pushing hard towards the end to overcome his Bulgarian opponent’s early lead. Nevertheless, securing the bronze was an excellent achievement.”

"I’m happy to have had the chance to fight in Italy against Europe’s best,” stated Ryan. “I know now that I deserve my place at these competitions. I can't wait for the World Championships next year. I lost to the tournament winner, who is ranked number one. I know what I need to do."

“I couldn’t be prouder of Ryan,” stated Dad Gary. “He tried his absolute best, which is all we can ask. This competition is huge with fighters from all over Europe; just being in the squad was a dream for Ryan, but getting a bronze while losing to the eventual gold medallist is amazing. All the British fighters had to finance their participation, and we’ve all been raising money via GoFundMe for events such as bike rides, football games, charity boxing, and selling raffle tickets.

Blyth’s Jordan Dixon, 18, had a close decision first-round loss to a Spanish kickboxer with just one point between them. Teammate Aaron Burgess, 18, was up against a fighter from the host nation, Italy. Aaron pressured his opponent but lost after conceding some early points. The fifth Blyth fighter, Jake Scott, 18 years old, scored a first-round knockdown. However, his Austrian opponent recovered to win by just one point.

Coach Cunningham, 46, has “a lifetime of kickboxing experience” and leads the K1 fighters within the national squad. “We held trials and national competitions to select members of the GB kickboxing squad. We’re constantly providing opportunities for the best athletes to gain experience in major competitions, paving the way for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, where kickboxing should feature for the first time.”

“I struggle to explain just how successful this small team of Blyth kickboxers was,” continued Cunningham. “All the boys made their tournament debut at the sport’s highest level against established teams who have government funding and strong fighters in every division. Our team can only grow stronger. I’d like to thank everyone at Millennium Martial Arts and Kickboxing GB, as well as their parents and guardians. We’re particularly grateful to local sponsors for their generosity enabling our athletes to benefit from such a life-enhancing experience.”

The Jesolo championships were organised by WAKO, the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations, which is now recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Some 2500 athletes and 1500 supporters travelled to Italy, accompanied by 400 coaches and 350 officials and referees.

If interested in training at Millennium Martial Arts or offering sponsorship, contact Tony Cunningham on 07734 349508 or e-mail millenium400@gmail.com. The club is located at 4, King Street, Blyth.