GREAT Sankey Karate Club are celebrating three of their members becoming European champions.

Members of the club, which is based at the Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub, made up part of the SSK England squad at the WUKF European Championships and returned with 14 medals in total.

Three of them went to Joanne Nelson, who claimed double gold in the senior open kata and Shitoryu kata and bronze in the senior Ippon Kumite.

Two more Great Sankey members were Shitoryu kata gold medallists in Odense, Denmark – Joel Eccleston and Dominic Lewis in the mini cadet and junior categories respectively.

Both fighters also won silvers – in the mini cadet Kumite and senior Shitoryu kata respectively – while Lewis won bronze in the junior open kata.

Daniel Trow won two medals in the 11 years age group – silver in Kumite and bronze in kata – while Daisy McAndrew was a kata silver medallist in the same age group.

Cadet Conall Sheehy claimed bronze in both the Shitoryu kata and Kumite while Max Naylor also took home a bronze medal in the mini cadet Kumite.

Chief instructor Steve Nelson commented: “It’s an absolute pleasure to see the months and years of hard work pay off on the mats.

“A massive thank you to our SSK family of coaching staff, competitors, instructors, parents and logistics for all the support.”