A YOUNG Thai boxer from Bury St Edmunds is celebrating after she overcame a huge weight difference to be crowned British champion at a major national championships held in Birmingham.

Hannah Turner, 11, found she was the only entrant in her weight class at the British Open Thai Boxing Championships, which featured more than 400 of the country’s top fighters squaring off in elimination action.

Undaunted, she courageously agreed to move up two weight divisions to do battle in the under 60kg class.

That brave decision meant that Turner, who fights out of the Unit One Combat Sports and Fitness gym in Bury, gave away a massive 10kg to her opponents.

But the move paid off, as after an exciting final, the determined youngster won the national title, clearly out-scoring her heavier opponent with powerful combination attacks, executed with exhausting frequency.

A delighted Turner lifted the belt, becoming Unit One’s first crowned junior champion.

Meanwhile Joe Le Maire, another talented young Unit One fighter, was unlucky not to progress in the highly competitive under 35kg category.

Facing the vastly more experienced Thai Barlow in his first round fight, Le Maire landed the cleaner shots at range and floored his opponent several times with well-timed low kicks.

But the judges preferred the clinch and knee attacks of Barlow, a decision many educated ringside observers disagreed with. Despite the disappointment, the philosophical 13-year-old took the decision well and demonstrated impressive sportsmanship in congratulating his opponent on the win.

Anyone interested in junior Thai Boxing can contact Unit One, in Kempson Way, via the website www.unit1gym.co.uk or call 01284 760468.