AN ANDOVER boy has become the Great Britain Grand Slam kickboxing champion.

Cassius Mitchell, who is in Year 9 at the Harrow Way Community School in Andover, has been ranked number one in the UK after securing a gold and two silver medals in the Turkish Open.

Cassius competed at the WAKO World Cup event (World Association of Kickboxing Organisations) in Istanbul – an event that saw 3,200 fighters from 43 countries.

Representing Great Britain in the opening ceremony Cassius, after two days of fighting, won three medals - gold in the -32kg points, silver in the -37kg points and silver in the -32kg light contact.

Having won the national championships earlier in the year and now ranked number one athlete for his weight category, Cassius has also secured his selection for the Junior World Championships in October.

Commenting on the success of Cassius, Calum Briggs, Curriculum Lead for PE said: “We are incredibly proud of Cassius. To achieve a number one GB ranking, Grand Slam win and selection to represent his country is no mean feat. Cassius has demonstrated, through sheer grit, determination and committed training, what can be achieved. All this while also staying on top of his school studies and homework.”

To get into top kickboxing condition in preparation for the Junior World Championships Cassius will be heading to an international training camp in Hungary over the summer holidays.

Calum Briggs said: “The whole school is rooting for Cassius and we wish him lots of luck for both his summer training camp and the forthcoming championships.”

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