KARATE kid Mayon Jayawickrama is all smiles as he shows off his latest trophy for finishing in first place in a national competition.
Seven-year-old Mayon saw off rivals in the under-tens’ Ippon Kumite category at the Karate Union of Great Britain’s 52nd National Championship in Leicester on May 5.
Mayon, of Wall Street, Barnsley, also reached the semi-final in the Kata under-16s category.
His dad Sanjaya said: “We are so proud of Mayon.”
Last week, the Chronicle revealed that Mayon had become the youngest black belt in the UK in shotokan, having passed at the Karate Union of Great Britain’s spring course.
Mayon is a member of Barnsley Shotokan Karate Club and is under the careful instruction of Mick and Lynn Padgett.
The club doesn’t usually allow children to start learning the martial art until they are seven but an exception was made for Mayon.
He would watch classes when he was only four while his mum Nilu, who is also a black belt, was training.
He was allowed to join in for the last 30 minutes and quickly showed great promise.
