TEENAGE tae kwon do enthusiast Robbie Bates is celebrating after becoming a junior national champion.
The 13-year-old, from Darlington, was victorious at the English Taekwonmudo Academy National Championships, in Sheffield.
Competitors represented associations from across the country in the tournament, which included full-contact sport fighting and non-contact tae kwon do disciplines.
Robbie, of the Kim Chung Do club, won the gold medals in traditional poomse and self-defence, as well as silver in one-step sparring.
Katey Wallace, 24, also from Darlington, was runner-up in the adult tournament, while Julian Hatfield, nine, from Newton Aycliffe, was awarded third place tournament champion.
Chief instructor, Master Ron Brennan, said: "The standard of the competition was extremely high. This definitely reflects the effort our students have put into their training."
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