Euro challenge for Phoenix duo (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Euro challenge for Phoenix duo

1:00pm Wednesday 24th June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

A PAIR of north Hampshire kickboxers have been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships.

Teenagers Ross Sheppard and Chris Greenhough, who are both Phoenix Schools of Martial Arts members, will travel to Croatia to fight for European titles in September after making it through the selection process.

Sheppard, who is 17 and a student at Basingstoke College of Technology, secured his place after finishing second at the British under-18 championships in the under-79kg division. This earned him a place in the British training squad and once there, he impressed the coaches enough to win selection for the team.

“I was really pleased to be selected,” Sheppard, who lives in Blackbushe, said. “I am really looking forward to it and I think I can do really well.

“I have upped my training and am really motivated but have not set myself any specific targets. I just plan to enjoy it and take it as it comes.”

Greenhough, who is 16 and lives in Hartford Road, Hartley Wintney, will compete in the junior men under-63kg division.

The Robert May’s School pupil also finished second at the national championships before impressing at the selection trials and is really looking forward to the European Championships.

“I am not sure that I will be going there looking to win but I will get some great experience against some of the top fighters in Europe,” he said. “It will be an amazing event and I will just give it my best shot.

“It was amazing when I was told that I would be representing Britain. It was a weird experience but a really good one.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)