Inverness karate duo are Scottish champions

Karate Alba athletes Sophie Howarth and Demi-Leigh Rennie were both crowned grand champions at the Scottish Grand Prix Karate Championships at Ravenscraig.

Howarth won maximum points over four grand prix events in the senior ladies competition which included winning a silver medal in the last grand prix.

Rennie won maximum points over three events in the 10–15 years Kyu event with her team mate Leigh Gausi finishing in second place.

Howarth and Gausi moved up to Brown/Black event in the finals of the grand prix.

They eliminated everyone on their way to the finals, where Gausi won silver and Rennie won bronze.

Thomas Fearns also won every round until he came up against eventual winner Adam Richards.

Sensei Dolina Ross said it was a proud moment for the Inverness club to have two athletes take top titles.

“For a small group like Karate Alba to have two grand champions is quite remarkable,” she said.

Gausi, Howarth and Rennie are travelling to Portugal this week to compete at the Lisbon International Championships looking for more success.

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