JUDO: SAMURAI Judo Club's new emerging players grabbed their share of the medals at the Oakengates Minimon.

Ben Newbury swept stylishly to the gold medal in his category, qualifying for the knockout after finishing his first two contests in eight and 45 seconds respectively.

Two more wins took Newbury to the final where he overwhelmed his opponent in six seconds to take the gold.

Ashley Round put up a good performance in the same weight category, U-38kg, winning several contests by maximum points before going out in the semi-finals.

One might have thought nine-year-old Matthew Hibberd was entering just for experience in the U-30kg but the wins just kept coming.

Six consecutive and spectacular maximum-point victories - just one lasting more than a minute - booked a final place.

But his favourite technique was now well known and his opponent countered it to hold him for maximum points.

A silver medal confirmed Hibberd's promise as a future top player and reflected his hard work in training.

The lightest of the four Samurai players entered, Sam Stone, also started well with three wins and a bye putting him into the semis.

But Stone unfortunately came up against the eventual gold medallist who threw him. However, a last five-second contest earned a bronze.

In the senior section, heavyweight Jim Neale has earned his promotion to second-level black belt. Neale, a serving police officer, has passed his theory to claim his grade.

He is one of three Samurai second dans who are current or former police officers.

l Samurai girls Emmy Kimberley and Sarah Wilson wiped out all opposition at the Midlands grading to both get their senior brown belts.

Seventeen year-old Wilson, a British national junior medallist for the last two years, comfortably defeated all of her three blue belt opponents at her first senior grading.

She achieved maximum points in all her wins to move from junior blue belt to senior top brown belt.

Kimberley, 15 and a junior green belt, entered the junior grading but after two emphatic wins was so far above all the other players that the examiners moved her into the senior section instead.

This barely even slowed her down and she managed another three wins, two against blue belts and one against a brown, and a final draw against another higher standard brown when she was the better player.

It led the examiners to promote her from junior green belt to senior brown belt by-passing the blue belt section.

Samurai's senior beginners section continues to make progress and four players have received their first grade of yellow belt.

Paul Clarke, Matt Davis, Matt Wakeman and Neil Mullis are now in training for their first competition in May.

For details about starting judo, call Pam Whiteside on 01299 822347.