SAMURAI Judo Club marked the 20th anniversary of the Bev Price Team Championships by fielding no less than 18 teams at the prestige event, at the BJA Centre Of Excellence in Walsall.

The event marked the first ever men’s veteran team category in judo to be held in Britain and attracted a strong field of 12 men’s teams.

Samurai fielded three men’s teams, their Vogon Poetry Appreciation Society trio, made up of Rob Alloway, Colin Brealey and Fred Itiose, topped their pool with two good wins.

Mike’s Mega Massive Merry Men made up of Mike Chamberlain, Matt Dutton and Martin Brown, got off to a slow start in their first match but then decisively beat two teams 3-0 to also reach the knockout stage.

Both teams won their quarter-final matches and met in the semi-final, resulting in a 2-1 win to Mike’s team.

The Vogons then had an excellent 3-0 win against Erdington to take the bronze while Mike’s team took on a team from Kangei Judo Club from London.

Mike and Matt recorded solid wins and although Martin lost to a player he had beaten earlier in the day – his only defeat of the entire category – they were 2-1 winners and took the gold medal.

Other Samurai successes at the event were the Pershore Old Boys team of Chris Newman, Paul Moss and Ben Newbury who won a bronze.

In the ladies section the Eye Candy team of Natasha Stevens, Leah Grosvenor and Olivia Turner, looked a formidable side even against very strong opposition but had to settle for silver after losing a close final against a team from Oxford who were all second level black belts.

In the girls lightweights, the Mighty Monsters team of Katy Jennings and Lola Grosvenor were a player short but still managed to gain the bronze medal.

The girls heavyweight section featured the Unicorn Squad of Lily Deeming-Lane, Rhea Turner and Maddi Haywood who took bronze while Ellie’s Elegant Eels, consisting of Ellie McAteer, Cerys Jones and Leah Grosvenor, collected silver.

Rob Alloway and Paul Moss still had more energy despite being respectively aged 39 and 57 years old and both returned to the same venue the next day for the Samurai Masters Open.

Rob, a second level black belt, won gold in his category and then Paul, a sixth level black belt and so entitled to wear the red and white belt that is above black belt, also won gold.