Officially the best

10:00pm Wednesday 27th August 2008

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SAMURAI’S reputation as the best British judo club for producing event officials received another boost when their competition organisers won two top awards.

Sarah Newbury, the chair of the club committee, was chosen as the recipient of the Best British Senior Official Of The Year award.

Her son Stefan Newbury, 21, received the Best British Young Official Of The Year accolade.

Sarah is tournament director for the Heart Of England Championships at the National Indoor Arena, the biggest one-day event in British Judo with over a thousand entries each year.

Her running the event keeps it in the Samurai “family”, because club president Malcolm Limrick, who helped train Newbury, ran it for many years previously.

She also runs numerous other major events, as well as being on the National table Officials Commission and training new Samurai officials.

Stefan won the award after being appointed youth opportunities development officer by the British Judo Association.

His younger brother Ben, 19, was one of five Samurai coaches who passed coaching examinations with flying colours.

Ali Lane, who has produced marvellous results with the club’s beginners session, also passed and her skills and quality as a coach drew special mention from the assessors.

Junior elite squad coach Andy Marston, Keith Waldron, who runs seniors weekend training sessions and Arch Shrimpton who is running a club at his university, also passed with considerable commendations.

Greg Adams, Richard Davis and Sarah Biles have been promoted to senior top brown belt level after successfully passing their exams.

Mark Dobbins moved up to yellow belt and Iwan Lloyd gained his red belt.

Anyone interested in the club and its activities can telephone 0776 1122977 or visit www.samurai.org.uk