Youngsters set for European Championships

Newham’s Gurumu Taekwondo have been celebrating after three of their members were selected to represent Great Britain at the European Cadet Championships in France next month.

Ismail Hussain, Will Tumber and Siena Limbu Lingden will be a part of a 15-strong team of athletes from all over Great Britain competing in Strasbourg and head coach Sivakumar Ramasamy said: “This was a huge achievement for all three athletes at such a young age. To represent your country at a major sporting event is every athlete’s dream.

“It just goes to show dedication to the sport, along with perseverance and hard work can certainly pay off.

“This is a great opportunity for the athletes to not only develop within the sport, but to also gain valuable experience to develop as a person.

“All I ask from the athletes is to go out there and give their absolute best which I am sure they will do.”

Ilford County High pupil Hussain is a national silver medalist, who also won silver at the Dutch Open in March, and will compete in the under-45kg division, while Tumber is another national silver medalist who won bronze at the Commonwealth Championships in Scotland last year.

Tumber, from Kent, trains at the Manor Park-based club and will compete in the under-57kg caegory.

Limbu Lingden is the most experienced member of the GB squad and a current national and Commonwealth champion who made her debut on the world stage at the first World Cadet Championships in Azerbaijan last year, when she one silver.

The youngster will look to go one better in the under-47kg division and all three will be training at the GB Taekwondo National Centre in Manchester before flying out to France.

Gurumu Taekwondo is one of four GB Taekwondo Talent clubs and currently ranked number one after winning the National Championships outright, as well as producing medalists at international, European and World level.