JUDO: There is another new black belt in the ranks at Kidderminster's Samurai Judo Club among a host of grade promotions.

Asa Payne clinched the rise at the Midlands quarterly grading in Wolverhampton with wins over five top brown belts.

The 23-year-old is furthering his training at Samurai after starting out at a Worcester club under coach Matt Godfrey.

Several other brown belts did well at the grading, especially veteran Alex Cooper who won three contests for more points towards his black upgrade.

Dave Campbell and Cheryl Williams also earned points.

Matt Dutton, one of the club's best young seniors, had his second-level black belt confirmed after defeating over a dozen similar players in recent events and gradings.

Richard Jones moved to senior brown at his first adult grading and Archie Shrimpton, also switching from junior to senior, leapt to blue with a fine display.

Lee Davenport moved to top blue in the juniors.

Meanwhile, Bewdley Judo Club's juniors worked hard at a technical grading under Samurai and county coach Andrew Haffner.

Tom Wood and David Sullivan gained the top grade available, a yellow belt.

Matthew Preece, Ben Bastable, Peter Valentine, Amelia Hancocks, Adam Nutland and Jake Bastable are now middle yellows.

Kelly Burkett and Jessica Sullivan moved up to bottom yellow belt, while Russell Nutland, Nathan Jones (top red), Charis Hancocks and Poppy James (middle red) also progressed.

At the same time, Samurai boys contested a yellow and orange belt challenge, clocking up five medals.

Steven Wagstaff made the final of the U-25kg category with several superb maximum point wins before losing to a minor score.

Jack Roberts, on superb form in the U-27kg, also made the final with three big wins and an excellent success over a useful Welsh player.

The last stage lasted just three seconds before Roberts launched his Coventry opponent into the air to claim gold.

Wesley Connor, giving a lot of weight away in the U-34 kg, earned a bronze medal.

In the U-38kg section, Charles Woodward and Ross Boyd did well but lost to the same Bristol player and faced each other in the battle for bronze.

The more experienced Woodward won the medal but this was a good display from the improving Boyd.

Karl Gaughan started off impressively in the U-46kg category but had to withdraw after bruising his knee, despite throwing the eventual silver medallist.

Ryan Pitcock, who beat club-mate and eventual bronze winner Matthew Lowe in the semis, took silver in the U-50kgs after losing to a good Swansea opponent.