PAUL NEWBY has been selected to fight for England in the Karate World Championships later in the year.
Paul, 22, has also earned funding from the Lottery's Elite Sports Fund which is enabling him to train seven days a week in his bid to make it to the very top of his sport.
His is travelling to the Canary Island of Lanzarotte where he will stay at Club La Santa, used by many of Britain's top athletes as they prepared for the Sydney Olympics, for 10-days pre-competition training.
Before that he is heading for Austria for a warm-up competition.
The World Championship themselves are being held in Munich and Paul, from Silsden, has travelled to Europe several times to compete at the top level.
"This will be the first time I have taken part in the World Championships as a senior and I am really looking forward to testing myself against the best," he said.
Paul also hopes the sport can get Olympic recognition. " They are trying to standardise the competition to make it an Olympic sport."
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