Sedgley's Joab Sneyd grapples his way to a national championship
Joab Sneyd has become a national champion in wrestling after just one year of training.
The 17-year-old, from Sedgley, joined Wolverhampton Wrestling Club a year ago to help improve his grappling skills for rugby, however he quickly quit the sport to concentrate fully on wrestling.
Now, just 12 months after starting, the teenager has won gold at the British National Wrestling Championship in the 92kg under-17 category – making him the best wrestler for his age in the country.
"I am really proud of myself, and I am happy with what I have achieved. My hard work has paid off," Joab said.
"I didn’t expect to get this far. When I saw my competition, I thought that the competition was looking good and professional, especially when I saw them warming up.
"My Coach from Wolverhampton wrestling club, Ranjit Singh, has pushed me hard and encouraged me not to give up, especially after having a shoulder injury. He gave me lots of words of encouragement on the day, especially after I lost the first round."
His father Shane added: "We are really proud of what Joab has achieved in such a short space of time. Joab’s character of strength shone through, especially after he lost his first round. He contained his nerves to then win every other round to reach the final. This has been a fantastic achievement, as this was the first national competition he entered and won.
"It’s great that a Black Country lad has achieved a gold at the highest level in the UK. It shows how an ordinary lad from Dudley, with dedication, can achieve extraordinary things."
The Dudley College student, who previously attended Beacon Hill Academy, was selected for the Midland regional squad in September through the British Wrestling pathway and has lofty ambitions for his future.
He added: "I would like to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, but I know that I have a lot of training ahead of me."
Shane added: "This is the first national competition which Joab has participated in and it is hoped that he will be selected for the GB squad. This win has propelled Joab’s motivation to progress further in this sport. It’s also great to highlight wrestling in the local area."
