Youngster tipped for judo stardom
By Cameron Hay
Published: 21 July, 2007
A YOUNG judo competitor has been tipped to go far after picking up six medals in his last six contests.
For the past four months, martial arts student Christopher Mota (11) of Beachan House, Farr, has been punching above his weight and still picking up silverware.
Despite standing at just 140cm tall and weighing just 28kg, he has been fighting opponents who are a stone heavier than him but he is still winning medals.
And his proud judo club coach Robert Inglis believes he could be a star of the future.
The Highland Budokan leader said: “Christopher definitely has a great future in judo.
“The Scottish nationals are coming up soon and I am sure he will get into the Scotland team for his age group and in amongst the medals.
“He is so keen in every aspect, training hard and trying to push it that bit further every time. He has got more confidence in himself now and knows he can do it.”
Since March, Christopher has attended six competitions across Scotland. In two of the competitions he was the only person representing the Inverness club and he had to fight opponents a stone heavier than himself – two weight categories higher than his own.
He has fought in Grangemouth, Galashiels and Glasgow as well as at local competitions in Alness, Fort William and Invergordon, winning four bronze and two silver medals.
Christopher told the Highland News: “My teacher has said I have improved a lot this year and I am far more focused than I was in the past.
By Cameron Hay
Published: 21 July, 2007
A YOUNG judo competitor has been tipped to go far after picking up six medals in his last six contests.
For the past four months, martial arts student Christopher Mota (11) of Beachan House, Farr, has been punching above his weight and still picking up silverware.
Despite standing at just 140cm tall and weighing just 28kg, he has been fighting opponents who are a stone heavier than him but he is still winning medals.
And his proud judo club coach Robert Inglis believes he could be a star of the future.
The Highland Budokan leader said: “Christopher definitely has a great future in judo.
“The Scottish nationals are coming up soon and I am sure he will get into the Scotland team for his age group and in amongst the medals.
“He is so keen in every aspect, training hard and trying to push it that bit further every time. He has got more confidence in himself now and knows he can do it.”
Since March, Christopher has attended six competitions across Scotland. In two of the competitions he was the only person representing the Inverness club and he had to fight opponents a stone heavier than himself – two weight categories higher than his own.
He has fought in Grangemouth, Galashiels and Glasgow as well as at local competitions in Alness, Fort William and Invergordon, winning four bronze and two silver medals.
Christopher told the Highland News: “My teacher has said I have improved a lot this year and I am far more focused than I was in the past.
“I used to be good one week and then bad the next because I was in my own little world, but now I feel I have begun to concentrate more and improve.”
In order to keep up his fitness, the young fighter goes to the sports centre three nights a week to train. He has been attending Highland Budokan for three years, amassing more than 19 medals during that time.
He added: “When I am fighting opponents above my weight, I have to try a lot harder because they are usually a lot stronger than I am but I think this gives me a reason to fight harder.
“It also makes it harder fighting above my weight because I have to take longer to recover for the next fight as I often feel drained.”
Proud mum Beverly Reid admits she pushed her son to take up the sport as a way of making new friends, but she concedes she finds it hard to watch him in fights.
She said: “It was always his choice to want to go to tournaments but this year he is just so up for it. However, every time I go to events I do get utterly sick watching him fight.”
in Highland News - Inverness, Scotland, UK -http://www.highland-news.co.uk/
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