TWO members of the same Rossendale karate club could be representing England in Poland for the World Shotokan Karate championships.

Sixteen-year-old Liam Stone and Fatima Muir, 15, are both members of Rossendale Shotokan Karate Club (RSKC) and fought stiff competition from more than 50 hopefuls at the England trials held in Liverpool last month.

Liam’s mum Julie Ringl said she was delighted.

She said: “We took them down to Liverpool to try out for Karate United of Great Britain and there was a large group competing for places but Liam and Fatima were successful in getting into the England Kumite Squad.”

Liam, from Bacup, is a Year 11 pupil at Fearns Community Sports College, Stacksteads, while Fatima, from Haslingden, attends Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School.

The pair work together at RSKC to select the club’s squad for competitions. Liam is a Black Belt second dan while Fatima earned her Black Belt last year.

“Since we were both picked for the junior team I have noticed that we have both been trying really hard at practices,” said Liam.

“When Fatima first started karate she was quite shy but she got the hang of it quite quickly and she has grown in confidence and has come out of her shell.

“I can’t take my next qualification until I am 21 and so being picked for the junior England team could not have come at a better time because I wanted to focus on competitions.”

Liam will be competing in the 16-18 category and Fatima in the up to 16 and under 5ft 3in category.

They will train every month with the team and compete in up to three competitions each month with places at the European and World Championships to compete for.

Liam also received a highly commended in the Lancashire Sports Awards Young Volunteer of the Year.

He volunteers around 10 hours each week coaching both the adult and the kindergarten karate classes organised by RSKC.