LONDON'S SportDock was the venue, when the International Karate Union hosted the Second IKU World Games for Children on Friday, October 31 and the Frist IKU European Championships for Cadets and Children on Saturday, November 1 and Sunday 2.

No fewer than 11 Vale Karate athletes were given the opportunity to join the Karate Wales Squad: Leah Copeland, Jack George, Josh Dwyer, Rhydian Pullin, Finnian O'Donovan, Ryan O'Donovan and Ella Forsyth all from Barry and Harrison Williams, Emma Squire, Chiara Baker and Max Baker all from Penarth.

Nine contested the World Games for Children on the Friday, with Leah and Emma competing at the IKU European Championships for Cadets and Juniors the following day.

During the Kumite events, Ella, Rhydian and Finnian all fought brilliantly, earning Vale Karate's first medals, a bronze for Ella and silvers for Rhydian and Finnian.

However it was not long before Vale Karate took their first IKU Children's World Games title with Josh Dwyer, at the top of his game turning in the performances of his life, so far, to take the title.

At 13 years old, Josh has been training with Vale Karate since he was six, and has won dozens of championships; however this was his best win yet.

The IKU European Championship's Cadet and Juniors' team events started on Friday evening and it was here that the quality of the European squads really began to show. With the Italians, who really were a quality squad locking horns with the squads from Romania, Slovenia, Portugal, Russia, Czech Republic etc and of course strong squads were present from Karate England as well as Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

It was in Kata where the Vale entrants to the Europeans had medal success as Emma and Leah, with great performances, booked their places in Sunday's Kata finals.

Sunday really was a feast of quality karate competition for the spectators.

Every single finalist was handed the microphone so they could introduce themselves to the crowd and it was a thrill for the Vale supporters to hear 'Emma Squire...Wales' and 'Leah Copeland...Wales' to be greeted by tumultuous applause.

Both girls then did enough to reach the rostrum with Emma earning a bronze in the Female Cadet A (14-15 years) Shotokan Kata category, behind two Portuguese athletes and Leah, unbeaten in the Welsh Karate League all season in Kata taking a bronze medal in the Female Juniors (18-20 years) Shotokan Kata event, behind an Italian and a Romanian.

Outside the Vale: Arashi's Megan Chambers won a Kumite Gold medal, Sumaya Evans from Cardiff won a Kumite bronze and Kathryn Collis from Kansei took a Kata silver medal.