After a remarkable year of results, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Squad from Gracie Barra Isle of Man attended their last tournament of 2022, the prestigious British Nogi Championship on Saturday 3rd December.
The team of five competitors brought home a total of 7 medals including 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze.
The academy’s Alanna Pritchard, who recently became the IBJJF European Champion in November, and who previously became British Gi Champion in June, was keen to obtain another win in this event to make it a triple. Alanna faced an experienced competitor in the quarter-finals, but had a dominant win on points with nothing scored against her, to take her into the semi-finals. There, she faced another tough competitor, a European medallist and duly won. Throughout the final she showed a level of maturity to her game that she has continually honed throughout the year which consisted of patience, skill and undeniable tenacity and she added British Nogi Champion to her incredible accolades. Wanting a further test of her skills, Alanna took part in the Absolute division (no upper weight limit) and took another Gold medal becoming the Division and Absolute Adult British Nogi Champion.
Nogi Coach Mark Franklin put it all on the line in a very experienced bracket after having dominate victories in other tournaments throughout the year. He won his semi-final via submission and went into the final with a considered approach and well thought out strategy which meant he took Gold with a clear win on points. He proudly becomes the first male British Champion from the Isle of Man.
In her third tournament in the space of a month, IBJJF European Silver medalist and recent Manchester Open Champion, Hayley Curtis rounded off what has been an incredible journey for her this year with a dominant, controlled and tactical win on points in her final to become the British Champion. She also brought home a Bronze medal in the Absolute division. The development in her game has been nothing short of amazing.
Shirley Tung put in a great performance against the eventual winner in her quarter-final match, but didn’t manage to do enough to get the win and therefore brought home a Bronze medal as a result.
Junior Competitor Summer Roberts became the first child to compete in the British Championship from the Isle of Man and faced a heavier opponent in the final, which despite her efforts lead to her bringing back a Silver medal.
Head Coach Conrad Roberts added “Our last tournament this year and what a great one to finish on and an amazing year it has been for the Academy and the competition squads in particular. I set some big goals for the squads at the start of the year and I’m beyond proud to say that the team put the effort in and made them all happen! In one year we went from having a strong team who were frequently medalling at U.K. regional and National events, to multiple British, International and European Champions and medallists. The team have literally won hundreds of medals this year. We will continue to push the boundaries as to what an Isle of Man Sports Team can do in 2023. None of this would have been possible without the incredible Coaching Team, the supportive families of our Competitors and our kind sponsors - thank you.”
