IT WAS another successful weekend for Samurai with nine medals at the Midlands Age Bands Championships in Walsall.

This event is an identification event for the England squad, so there was a good turnout from all over the country as well as strong contingents from Scotland and Wales.

Samurai comfortably finished top of the Midlands clubs in the medals table.

Bryony Griffiths led the charge with her best performance for some time in the girls under-52 kilogram category as she defeated an England player in the semi-finals on her way to gold.

In the under-48kg section, Darcie Hancocks defeat current British champion Mollie Game in the last four but she was edged out by heavier teammate Sian Bobrowska in the final.

Leah Grosvenor took a knock to the head while throwing her quarter-final opponent for maximum points and was withdrawn from the competition as a safety precaution.

Olivia Turner was undaunted by a category packed with England players and secured a silver medal.

Nathan Gallacher led the charge for the boys, reaching his final after some very good work, but he is yet another Samurai who has moved up a weight group recently and although he gained an early lead against a London player, he was caught by a very good groundwork move and had to settle for silver.

James Hemer, another one who has recently moved up, and Jake Ashen were in the same boys’ lightweight category, under-34kg.

Ashen had three good wins before being eliminated, while Hemer James reached the semi-final before losing to a heavier player and then lost the bronze play-off against the run of play and had to settle for fifth.

His older brother Matt was on superb form, but lost out to the British champion from Nottingham and this eliminated him. However, Jack Walker kept the boys in the medals with bronze in his weight group.