KICKBOXING kid Joe Pollitt made an instant impact in his first international competitive outing.
The 11-year-old from Smithills won the gold medal at the Irish Open.
He beat 20 other fighters from all over the British Isles as well as America, Russia and Italy in the under-135cm height category to carry away the unofficial world title.
Joe, who took up karate four years ago because he was being bullied, is a member at Morrison’s Black Belt Academy on Halliwell Road, Bolton.
His debut international competition in Ireland was the biggest of its kind in the world with more than 2,200 competitors taking part in the full range of age groups and height categories.
Joe, a pupil at St James Primary School, Daisy Hill, has had success domestically at kickboxing, finishing second in the British Championships to qualify for the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations World Championships in Serbia in September.
Also pencilled in his diary is the qualifying event for another kickboxing organisation’s world championships in May.
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