Telford kickboxer Jamie Morgan on top of the world

Jamie Morgan, from Muxton, battled his way through six gruelling bouts to claim the -50kg mat light contact continuous boys' crown in the 13-15-year-old division at the Unified World Championships in Tuscany.

Morgan, who trains at Lightning Sport Karate in Telford, won a demanding final against a talented fighter from the Czech Republic by a unanimous decision to reach the top of the podium.

He also claimed bronze in the -50 kg ring light contact continuous kickboxing division in the same age group.

And his delighted coach and club owner Steven McMullen said: "It is a massive achievement. He was in a big category and it was a good standard.

"He fought people from the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Northern Ireland as well as England.

"He is an experienced fighter who had previously competed all over the country but that was the first time he had competed abroad so he has done very well."

Morgan, who took up the sport seven years ago, has certainly put in the hard yards in preparation for his moment of glory.

He trains five days a week with Lightning Sport, dividing his time between their bases at Hadley Learning Community and Phoenix School in Dawley.

That has also been supplemented with additional sparring sessions in both Burton-upon-Trent and Birmingham to prepare him for the tournament, which was held over three days.

More than 1,000 fighters from dozens of nations took part in the event, including a 60-strong contingent from England.

Asked what Jamie's next goal was, McMullen said: "He just wants to carry on the way he is going and keep entering competitions."

He added that as Jamie gets older he may consider a move in full-contact kickboxing in the future.

Lightning Sport Karate currently has around 40 members on its books and new members are always welcome. For further details contact Steve on 07930 532867.