SOUTHAMPTON-based British Taekwondo Schools are celebrating being crowned best overall team in Great Britain at the sport's National Championships.

BTS, a World Taekwondo Federation Olympic style outfit based in Millbrook, also won 13 individual gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals.

They were among 82 taekwondo clubs from across the country competing over the two-day event held at the Manchester Velodrome.

Six times British national champion Jeamy Navarro-Schrank, 17, fought in both Junior and Senior advanced categories, while Tegan Paynter, 13, from Totton, retained her Championship title for a fourth year.

Holly Pepper, 12, from Hedge End, put in an exceptional performance and advanced fighters Phoenix Goodman, 11, from Millbrook, and Leona Cullen, 10, from Gosport, gained the treble in their weight categories - retaining their titles three years in a row.

Senior athlete Mollie Schofield,18, from Warsash, has been plagued by injury recently but showed she was back fighting fit to take gold in the women’s Senior -67kg category. Lois Smith, 19, from North Baddesley, was strong in the novice -57kg and walked away with her second gold at this event.

Georgia Appleby, an advanced senior, made it through to the final and took silver. Velodrome spectators were even treated to all BTS final for winner Eloise Grant, eight, from Romsey, and runner-up Jasmine Hoy, seven, from North Baddesley, in the novice -26kg.

Pippa Watt, nine, from Winchester, bravely bowed out due to a broken toe and Lily Hoy, 10, from North Baddesley, fought exceptionally well in her quarter final. Jaden Cullen, 16 from Gosport, matched her sister in making it through the rounds to the finals, but ended with silver.

The BTS boys had some very large categories with some athletes required to fight through five rounds in order to get to the finals.

Jack Rowley, 12, from Winchester, fought extremely hard, taking it to 8-8 and narrowly missing out to a golden point.

Oskar Rickaby-Pratt, 18 from Twyford, debuted at his first ever nationals and Owen Sanders, 17 from Thornhill, fought in both Junior and Senior categories and won silver. Owen Pepper, 9 from Hedge End), claimed a well-earned bronze.

It was a superb effort but devastating blow for Will Martin, 18 from Sholing, who lost out in the dying seconds.

It was Brendon Tasker’s first National Championships with BTS after moving across from ITF style Taekwondo, and he reached the quarter finals.

BTS veteran athlete Ebele Ossai, in her first ever competition, amazingly won gold. BTS Principal coach Joe Brown said: “We were amazed by the performance of all our athletes this year and we never expected to get into the team trophies, let alone win!”.

He added: “Our main focus with the children in class is about having fun and at competition that is no different.

“We are a GB talent club and therefore train hard with every effort to provide a pathway into the national team.

“However, if they do or don’t come away with medals, we celebrate the fact they got in the ring all the same.”