Crawley Karate are the top team at the Welsh Championships 2023

Crawley Kyokushin Team with their prizes

Crawley Kyokushin took fifteen athletes to the BKK Welsh Full Contact Karate Championships in Merthyr Tydfil and all of their fighters came back with a trophy.

The club took seven gold, four silver and four bronze medals making them the leading team out of forty clubs participating.

In the adult categories Blake Collins won the Heavyweight crown stopping his opponent in the final in 27 seconds. Callum Chapman stepped up to Middleweight and took bronze.

Veterans Steven Papworth won the Mens Lightweight and Former Olympian Nick Buckfield took the Middleweight crown.

James Clark came third in the Novice Middleweight category and was also awarded the Most Spirited Fighter of the day after three brutal bouts.

In the youth section our under 10 year olds dominated with Mason Hennessey Lightweight Champion, Will Power Middleweight Champion and Lewis Fortnam Silver. Under 12 Heavyweight boy Olaf Dabek also took gold.

Issac Warnfeldt Rush added to his European performance with a gold in the Under 14 Middleweights and the club picked up three more prizes in the Under 16 section with Antek Sobecki taking silver and Alfie Finch bronze in the Middleweight category and Elliott Fortnam also taking silver in the Heavyweights.

Finally our two under 18 fighters Cody Chapman gained 2nd place in the Heavyweight and Elvin Vaskys a 3rd place in the Lightweight.

As an overall club performance this probably rates as one of the highest performances with the team winning over 75 per cent of their bouts.

Follow the club on www.crawleykyokushin.org, IG @crawley_kyokushin, FB Crawley Kyokushinkai Karate Club