Sport Karate world champs gold for nine-year-old Tillie

Tillie Bancroft, a member of X Martial Arts Schools, took victory in her category competing for England at the 2024 World Karate and Kickboxing Commission championships, which took place in Albufeira, Portugal between October 26 and November 1.

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Her dad Richard, 29, and cousin Chris joined her at the championships and Richard said ‘Tillie the Terminator’ – a named given to her by teachers at the Acomb sports school - enjoyed everything from the ‘amazing’ opening ceremony and became more and more confident as the week went on.

Tillie on the podium in Portugal with her world championship gold medal (Image: Supplied) As previously reported in the The Press, Tillie started out at the age of four and has progressed through internationally recognised training programmes and gaining the traditional coloured ‘belts’ and a clutch of other medals along the way.

Despite a change to Tillie’s programme of events meaning fewer scheduled bouts in Portugal, she was given permission to compete in other categories in addition to the competition which saw her come away with gold, Richard said.

Tillie competed for England in Portugal after national qualification here (Image: Supplied) Tillie said she got to see athletes from Canada, Mexico, the USA and Guatemala competing alongside home nations’ competitors and those from the England team she had qualified to represent.

Richard said there had been the odd 5am alarm call to get to Acomb for some of the training sessions and open training on Knavesmire, ahead of the event.

He said: “I was so happy and proud of her, there was a lot of hard work involved in the training but it was all worth it.”

X Martial Arts Schools took 29 athletes to this year's world championships and came back with 39 medals, including Tillie's. (Image: Supplied) Tillie herself said she ran through the front door when they got back home to York to show her mum the gold medal.

The year 3 / 4  pupil's win was also celebrated at the ‘proud awards’ at her school, St Lawrence’s CE Primary in Heslington Road, said her dad.

Tillie is in training for her black belt with the results expected in December, and the 2025 world championship qualification starts in March.