A TEENAGE martial arts star has brought a European title home to Cowdenbeath in history-making fashion.
Elize Bauld, 15, travelled to Tbilisi, Georgia, to represent Scotland at the 2024 EKF (European Karate Federation) Cadet, Junior and Under-21 Championships and fought her way to gold in the -61kg female cadet category.
She defeated her Polish opponent, Natalia Balut, 5-2 in a tense but exciting final, and her success was the only medal win recorded by any home nations competitior.
Elize, who has trained with Cowdenbeath Karate Club since the age of three, competed against elite fighters under the age of 21 from 49 countries and battled her way through the qualification rounds to reach the last eight.
Against her opponent from Turkey, one of the world's leading karate nations, she emerged with a 3-0 win to reach the semi-finals where, after a slow start, Elize ramped up the pressure and points to claim a convincing 6-0 victory.
She then went on to land the title, which was broadcast live on various media outlets across Europe, delighting one of her Cowdenbeath Karate Club coaches, Gordon Maxwell, who hailed a "fantastic disciplined performance from Elize at the highest level, with the pressure fully on".
He explained that only one person for each weight is selected after a rigorous selection process, spanning two years, commenting: "It's also not a given to be selected to fight for your country, even if you are number one in the country at your given weight.
"If the selectors think that any individual has not reached the required standard, then no-one is selected to fill a particular slot, so it's very tough to even get considered for your country in the first place.
"However, Elize has attended all mandatory selection and fighting sessions, won consistently across the UK and Europe, and shown the level of skill and commitment to warrant her selection. Then, to go and win the event is wonderful, and a just reward for the many hours - and, indeed, years - of training she has put in and continues to do so."
Gordon continued: "She trains at a small, part-time club in Cowdenbeath, so, again, she has overcome the odds really in great fashion. People asked me, with the club being small, who she spars with as a youth. She would say all the adults, so maybe that’s one of the reasons for her success and her positive attitude.
"So, personally for me, I am delighted for Elize and her family. It's not been an easy road and although, I have played a very small part in this success, the real accolades are to Elize, her family, her co-students and the instruction team at Cowdenbeath Martial Arts centre.
"Hopefully this may inspire other local youths to get involved with karate, and send out the message that everything is possible with the right application and coaching, regardless of the size of club."
A registered charity, Cowdenbeath Karate Club run classes for all ages and abilities from four years upwards, and for more information, find them on Facebook.
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