It’s not every day you read about a local North Belfast team being crowned as part of the number one team in Ireland, but last Saturday at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin, that’s exactly what happened to the Junior athletes from a combined Grove & Merville Jiu-Jitsu club team.
23 Junior athletes travelled to The National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, Dublin for the Irish Junior Open in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, against 557 competitors from all over Ireland.
At the end of a long and tiring trip, the joint team brought home the bling, winning three gold, 13 silver and three bronze medals for the North Belfast clubs, and the combined team from across all Team Ryano affiliates took forst place as the top Junior team in Ireland.
“Considering we’re only back at Grove Leisure Centre from last January due to Covid, we saw superb performances under pressure in Dublin from every child," said Head Coach, Robert Cullinan.
"Medal or not, we’re very proud of every single little warrior who stepped on the mats today.”
Parent’s Committee Chairman Peter Cates added: “It's hard for others to fully appreciate just how much support and background preparation goes into making a result like this.
"The potential in many of these Juniors is huge. To everyone who helped in any way, you know who you are - thank you.
"We could not have done it without you. Special mention to all our volunteer coaches Dee B, Michael, Jim, Dee Mc, Roger, Sophie and Jack.”
While both clubs have never had healthier membership numbers, we always have room for a few more little ninjas.
More details on both clubs can be found on their Facebook sites or on the website.
Why not drop down some night, watch a class and get your child, yourself or both involved?
