TAEKWONDO: The Gurumu Taekwondo club of Hammersmith are the best in the country - having scooped the team prize at the British National Championships at the Manchester Sportcity Velodrome.

The club, which meets at the Lillie Road Fitness Centre,consists of 11 players aged between seven to 18 who spent the summer preparing themselves for the sport's major event of the year and the work paid off in style.

Eight of the out 11 Gurumu fighters managed to fight their way into the finals - by far the club's best showing in the national championships.

The points gained from four golds, four silvers and two bronze medals made them the outstanding team - and they finished a whopping 20 places above local rivals London TaekwondoAcademy in an event contested by 46 clubs.

Team Gurumu won 20 fights in all, which was nearly double the number of wins achieved by the next best teams in the competition.

Gurumu's youngest fighter, seven-year-old Amrou Greenidge, stunned the crowds with his speed and determination, winning in the final by knocking out his opponent with an impressive turning kick to the head,and scooping a stunning gold medal.

His victory was followed by Michelle Saguan, who also completed her match with a knockout performance, adding yet another gold medal to the team's total.

Siblings Thangaes and Neeleeny Nithirajah followed suit with four out of seven knockout fights.Thangaes, who had 29 competitors in his weight division, won all his fights.

Neeleeny followed up with an equally victorious performance. Both bagging another two gold medals.

Silver medals were won by siblings Viroshan and Vaisaly Gnanapandithan,Hary Sivakumar and Denis Neuman. Bronze medals went to Rajveer Chana and Gurami Ghambashidze.

Link: www.gurumu.co.uk