JOSH Walker and Isaac Sobolewski shone at the Samurai Judo Club’s Orange and Under Open Championships with gold medals.

Just over a hundred players, from twenty-four clubs entered the event at Samurai's purpose-built premises in Zortech Avenue.

Josh Walker was the first Samurai to compete, in the boys' lower grades section, he won all three of his contests by maximum points to take the gold medal.

Harrison Flello took a bronze in the next weight category, winning the bronze play-off against a Redditch player, whilst Alex Spencer also won bronze in the weight group above that.

Isaac Sobolewski, making his competition debut, beat players from Redditch and Wolverhampton to get into the final against a Kettering player. Isaac gained an early high score and then with just seconds to go gained another high score to make it maximum points and take the gold medal.

Matt Burford fought well in the next category to gain a bronze, and then Dominic Jones, in his first competition, also took bronze.

The next category saw Mateo Allen and Luke Jahromi meet in the semi-final. Luke won but lost to a more experienced player from Milton Keynes in the final and had to settle for silver, whilst Mateo defeated a Kettering player for the bronze.

Harley White was the last of the Samurai lower grade boys to compete, he reached the semi-final before losing to a higher grade from Solihull, but then defeated a Birmingham player for the bronze.

In the girls lower grades, Brook Collins was making her competition debut and overcame her nerves to win a deserved bronze. Katy Jennings defeated a Worcester player in her last contest to add another bronze to the tally and Meghann O’Sullivan made it three bronzes for the girls lower grades in her category.

In the boys' higher grades, Zach Main was competing in the higher grades section for the first time and despite a loss against a Nottingham player in the semi-final did well to win bronze against a Bristol player.

Dillon Walker continues to impress in training and did well to defeat a Halesowen player to win the bronze in the next weight group up.

Luke Mole added another bronze in the next weight category and then Stuey Main won bronze in the category above that, beating a Kettering player by maximum points despite being a lower grade.

The last two Samurai higher grade boys to compete were Martin Allen and Spencer Benton, both in the same category. Spencer is another player who has recently started training much harder and was going well until he met Martin in the semi-final. Martin won, but went on to lose the final after a mistake against a Staffordshire player, whilst Spencer, who had beaten the Staffordshire player earlier on, defeated a Birmingham player for the bronze.

Sisters Lily and Bonnie Deeming-Lane were in the same category. Lily won three contests to take the one bronze whilst younger sister Bonnie matched her in medals by taking the other bronze.

Another second generation Samurai was the last player to compete. Niya White is the daughter of long-time Samurai black belt and former British National medalist Sarah White (formerly Wilson) and British Army Champion Steve White, who now helps coaching the lower intermediate junior session at the club.

Although a novice in her first competition, she was put with the higher grades because of a shortage of older girls in the lower grades section and went on to win a bronze.