Members of Chichester Karate Club did themselves proud on home soil when they brought home 37 medals from the GKI national championships.
With a top-three finish in nearly every category, junior and senior members of the club were delighted with the performance.
Club instructor Alan Prior said: “The impressive number of medals is due to the dedication and commitment of all of the members.”
Competitors competed in age, size and ability categories, in both kata (set routines) and kumite (point fighting).
In the junior orange belt category Benedict Hothersall walked away with bronze and Floss Stubbington silver.
Bella Newton won silver and Eve Schultheiss gold in the purple and purple and white belt category.
After only a few months at the club Sarah Ridley wowed the audience in the senior yellow and orange belt group and won silver.
Andy Hibbert brought home bronze in the senior brown belt category. In the senior black belt group brothers Rob and Mike Prior took the top two podium positions.
In the five team kata events, Chichester achieved two firsts, a second and three thirds with Matthew Foster, Scott Brighty, Natasha Newton, Kane Willis, Keeley Willis, Mariana Newton and Andrew Brooks producing outstanding performances.
Next was the kumite competition. Ryan Willis, another new club member, scooped a bronze medal from the peewee boys’ category.
In the small boys’ group Monty Newton and George Waller found themselves in an all-Chichester final. Waller had the edge and took gold, Newton the silver.
In the intermediate boys’ category Sebastian Brooks won bronze. Patrick Collyer reached the final of a hard group and walked away with silver to add to his rapidly-growing collection.
In the small girls’ group Nalin Ralph took silver before Floss Stubbington won her second medal of the day, a bronze.
Emily Dodd finished second in the older girls’ category and was joint winner of the Peter Lynam Trophy, a national recognition of her performance and attitude over the past 12 months.
The newest club member, Steve Day, showed he could go all the way by winning the men’s coloured belt category.
The senior black belt category for kumite saw Michael Prior win his third gold of the day.
Thanks go to the parents who supported the event.
The club train from 7pm to 8pm (juniors) and 8pm to 9.30pm (seniors) on Wednesdays at the New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester.
Visit www.chichesterkarate.co.uk or follow @chikarateclub on Twitter.
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