COWDENBEATH Karate Club sent a small be determined team to Malmo for the 2014 Swedish Karate Championships and enjoyed great success, with titles coming home.

Travelling into Denmark on the Friday evening all the fighters were weighted before an early bed for the next day’s fighting.

First up was Sammi Maxwell, who fought through many hard bouts before reaching the girls’ final where she meet a tough fighter from Denmark.

A close match followed with Sammi, showing no little skill and a lot of determination, finally winning and securing the title.

Next up was Melissa Maxwell, who fought her way to the semi-finals, but although winning 3-0 was disqualified due to excessive contact and thus finished third.

Final Cowdenbeath contestant was Alan Goodwin, fighting in the black belt under 60kg event .

Alan fought in his usual all-out style and won the 2014 title, much to the delight of the Cowdenbeath team.

The event attracted 600 entries from 14 different countries and was well run and supported with some top European fighters on display and thus the reason the Cowdenbeath club attended .

The coaching team at the club would like to thank all the supporters, and indeed, the three fighters who gave their all in this difficult arena and the coaches commented, “This was a top level event and it’s always very difficult for a small local group like ours to pit ourselves against the top European clubs but we try and give every student at Cowdenbeath Karate the correct training and exposure to top level tournament fighting.

“Again being a part-time club with no paid instructors, who all work full-time in their chosen professions, it is hard but any success is hard earned and hopefully we can go on from here and challenge for the top WKF honours in the UK and beyond.

“Only by entering these type of events can the students really develop and again we do thank the local community for their support.” The club trains in their own gym at Cowdenbeath High Street every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings and new members are welcome .