A WORCESTER judo player won a British Minors Championships gold medal.

At the Welsh National Sports Centre, Cardiff, young competitors followed up six medals won by Samurai's veteran men at the British Masters Championships.

The youngest national age band for 10 and 11 year olds saw James Harrison storm to victory as well as fellow county player Harry Ashen.

Harrison, who trains at both the Worcester club and at Samurai in Kidderminster, won all four contests emphatically.

He started with a maximum-point throw against a Northern Ireland player then followed up with a throw into a hold in his second contest against a Surrey opponent.

In the semi-finals, he launched a player from the north of England into the air for maximum points.

Harrison was looking unstoppable and the final against a London player went the distance but he scored five times without conceding to take the gold.

This was his first major title and he will be aiming for more after not conceding a score all day.

Samurai’s Ashen, in the next weight category but one above Harrison, defeated players from Surrey and Wales on his way to the final against a Wirral opponent.

As this was the same player Ashen beat in June's English Open final, he was confident and scored early on before moving into a ground hold for maximum points and the gold medal.

The British masters medal winners were Gary Knight with gold and Rob Alloway, Ian Mills, Matthew Martin, Mark Allen and Rob Starbuck with bronzes.

Meanwhile, three Worcestershire players are first in the British cadet rankings.

Samurai have Olivia Turner in the +70kg weight category and Leah Grosvenor in the under 57kg section.

Sian Bobrowska, formerly of Worcester and now at Hardy Spicer Judo Club in Birmingham, tops the under 48kg category.

Samurai's Stefan Newbury will referee at the European Club Championships later this month in Germany.

He is the joint top British referee in the European ranking list.