YOUNG Karate champions from Penarth and Barry were once again amongst the medals when Vale Karate sent their squad to the biggest and best Karate competition held in Wales in memory on Sunday, June 21.

There were 500 entries from some of the strongest squads in Wales and England, with two strong groups from Ireland also present made the inaugural Karate Wales Open a competition of quality with medals hard to win.

More than 20 referees and judges from outside Wales also came along to ensure things ran smoothly.

Vale Karate took more medals than any other club or association, 25 in total, winning six gold, 10 silver and nine bronze medals.

Penarth youngster Griff Hughes took the Welsh Karate League by storm last season.

After failing to earn a medal in the first event, and missing the second, he then stacked up seven consecutive wins to earn the title Champion of Champions in the Under-10 Kata.

His first international foray at the WUKF European Championships last month saw him earn a bronze medal, and his improvement continued in Merthyr as he took the Karate Wales open title.

Team mate Rhydian Pullin from Barry was third.

Chiara Baker, also from Penarth, who at only 11, has more medals and titles to her name than she can count, was silver medalist in the 11-12 Girls Kata, before earning another medal, a bronze in Kumite.

The 13-15 Shotokan categories yielded three medals for Vale Karate; Josh Dwyer from Barry earned the silver in the boys event, before Penarth Girls Emma Squire and Alex Slack took the Girls section by storm earning gold and silver respectively.

The Vale Junior Boys Kata team featuring Penarth boys Harrison Williams and Chris Slack, together with Josh Dwyer, having recently returned from their bronze medal performances representing Karate Wales in Belgium were not to be denied, taking the gold medals.

Harrison, competed in the Kata team, clearly unwell, so unfortunately took no further part, however Chris and Josh both went on to win further medals, Chris taking a bronze in the 11-12 years 150cm plus division, and Josh taking a silver in the 13-14 years 165cm plus category and alongside Max Baker from Penarth and Ryan O’Donovan from Barry took a bronze in the 13-14 years Team Kumite.

Ryan had visited the podium earlier as he took a bronze medal in the 13-14 years 165cm plus event.

Rhydian Pullin and Finnian O’Donovan both from Barry were champions in the 9-10 years Boys team Kumite, and Barry girls Alysha Lee, Ella Forsyth and Lauren Moran were silver medalists in the Girls 11-12 year team event. Individually Alysha was silver medalist in the 11-12 years Girls 150cm plus event with Ella a bronze medalist.

Barry girl Leah Copeland, 20, continues to improve and put in excellent performances in both the Ladies Shotokan and Ladies Open Kata events to take two gold medals.

The squad are now training for the next Welsh Karate League event which takes place in Wrexham later this month.