Hassan just An immense talent on the judo floor
IN THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES ON THE 2018 SPORT NEWCASTLE RISING STARS OF SPORT AWARD WINNERS, WE FOCUS ON NEWBURN JUDO STARLET ANYA HASSAN
ANYA HASSAN is a floor-midable talent who could go all the way to the top in her sport, writes TONY HODGSON.
That is the view of Newburn Judo Club head coach Joe Laws, who has overseen the startling progress made by the 12-yearold starlet.
Hassan, a pupil at North Tyneside’s Churchill Community College, took up judo at the age of five and since 2015 has floored her rivals with a string of impressive successes.
That year she won 14 medals, including becoming national champion in the 10-11 age group.
The following year she claimed nine gold medals and a silver at the National Championships.
Last year she won 33 contests and became BJC national champion.
Hassan struck gold in the Midland Open, the Craven under-16 competition, the British Schools National Championships, the South Shields Open, the English Minors Championship, the Goole Under-16 Championships and the Welsh Open.
There were also silvers at the Kendal Lakeland Open, the Sportif Scotland competition, the Northern Home Counties Championships and the National Championships.
This year has started well too, Hassan winning silver at her first ranking event of the year in Birmingham.
A British Schools champion, Hassan has joined the England cadet squad for 2018 - and Laws believes his protege’s future is very bright.
He said: “As a coach it is easy to work with Anya because you know her temperament and attitude will always be spot on. She is such a sensible girl who never lets anything bother her and who is always focused on her objectives.
“Anya has shown great determination and a willingness to work hard and she always listens to her coaches to ensure she is taking in all the information she is given.
“She has been a member of Newburn since she was five and has now become one of our most accomplished and successful young athletes.
“Anya wins a lot of her fights with big throws, which is remarkable for one so young, and she is so consistent when she performs.
“She is maturing as a competitor and has much promise.
“She is one for the future, one who can go a very long way in the sport if she wants to.”
Hassan’s success has been recognised by Sport Newcastle, who named her as one of the 12 winners of this year’s Rising Stars of Sport Awards.
In doing she has maintained a family tradition - her brother Lee Storey and her cousin Kelly Froggatt are previous recipients of the prestigious honour.