Manchester student triumphs at 2014 Derbyshire Sports Awards

11 Nov 2014

Martial arts expert Robert Martin fought off the competition to triumph at the University of Derby-sponsored Derbyshire Sports Awards last week

The 20-year-old Ju Jitsu, Kobudo and Barjutsu expert was named Derbyshire County Council Young Sports Leader/Young Coach of the Year at the prestigious annual ceremony held at The Roundhouse, Derby on 6 November and attended by 250 nominees and dignitaries from across the county.

Robert, an undergraduate student in the School of Chemistry, is the first person in the world to achieve Yudansha Gold Tab 13 status, and uses all his knowledge to good effect as a dedicated martial arts mentor.

He has put in more than 500 hours of his time to coach students from Tibshelf Community School, as well as clubs across the area, while also acting as a lead official in a series of athletics events, including the Derbyshire School Games.

The photograph shows Robert (centre) with Paul Smith, Chair of Derbyshire Sport and Deputy Cabinet Member for Health and Communities from Derbyshire County Council, and Ian Thomas, Strategic Director for Children and Young Adults at Derbyshire County Council.