BRADFORD Wrestling Academy have tasted success this summer at national junior level as well as national senior level.

Khizar Rehman has picked up a silver medal in the British Championships and three of his Bradford Wrestling Academy clubmates have done likewise in the British Junior Championships, held at Leigh Leisure Centre.

Wrose’s Zac Toothill, nine, from Low Ash Primary School, who has already won the English Championships, took gold at U32kg; Undercliffe’s Abdul Khan, 14, won his category at U72kg, and Immanuel School pupil Logan Hall, 16 took silver at U65kg.

The trio are coached by Brett Hawthorn, and fellow Academy coach, his dad Jimmy, said: “They surprised us with how well they did. It was amazing.

“Logan didn’t even place last year – I don’t think that he even won a match – and within the course of a year he has worked really hard and deserved this silver medal.

“Zac is just a natural athlete and wins everything – every sport that he takes part in he wins – while Abdul is a big, strong lad and is one to look out for as well.

“Zac is an all-round athlete. He is fit, he is fast and he is strong and he learns quickly according to Brett, who trains him.

“Logan has also come on in leaps and bounds, as has Abdul, who I have trained.

It is all systems go for them.

“At the moment they are all new to the game – they have been doing it a couple of years - but maybe in a year or two we could get Zac into the European Championships, and the same goes for the other two if they keep winning national medals and progressing.

“Even the World Championships are open to all of them if they keep working hard, and the club is on a high at the moment. We are on the up and up.”

Jimmy added: “Doing other elements of martial arts helps them in their wrestling as they are always ready to fight in a match. They are training most days, so they are fit and healthy all the time.”

Bradford Wrestling Academy are now ploughing something of a lone furrow in the city – and almost in West Yorkshire.

Jimmy explained: “There used to be six wrestling clubs in Bradford and about 20 in Yorkshire, but 30 years ago Green Lane Wrestling Club in Bradford closed.

“There also used to be Hill Top and, all of a sudden, they all closed. Why I have no idea. Maybe people weren’t interested; they were doing other stuff.

“A guy called Geoff Portz, from Greengates (a heavyweight who was born in Shipley and was noted for his power and precision) used to come in and help me with my training before he moved to Australia.

“He said at the time ‘Jimmy Hawthorn might be the saviour of wrestling in Yorkshire’ and it turns out that I was as there was no other club in Yorkshire apart from Bradford Wrestling Club 30 years ago.

“I am so happy now that Brett has taken the reins as I am more or less retired as a coach.

“We are also teaching young lads to be coaches, such as Sol Simmons, who has taken my position, and he is coming along great as a coach, but we need more coaches, and maybe that is why these other clubs packed in because there were no coaches.

“People came to us from all over Yorkshire, although there is now another club in Leeds.

“But MMA is getting big and clubs do have wrestling, but not specifically like us.”