Doncaster martial arts team achieves success in Spain

A small team from Doncaster-based ACMAC Martial Arts enjoyed an impressive World Kickboxing Championships campaign in Cadiz, Spain, returning home with 10 medals, including two golds.

The six competitors – Darcy Criddle, Ant Reed, Tobi Atkin and the Lindley family of Hayden, Hayley and Brandon – represented England at the tournament, which attracted teams from across the globe.

Cadiz holds special significance for ACMAC, having been the venue where the club first announced itself on the world stage in 2011. Hayden Lindley was the only member of the England team competing in Cadiz who had also been there for that tournament.

The Lindley family enjoyed a particularly successful week, with Hayden impressing in individual events and tag teams, as well as captaining the England men's team.

Hayley made her World Championships debut and claimed a bronze medal in her continuous section. She was also selected to compete in the women's points team, a significant honour.

Brandon overcame a difficult start in points before producing some excellent performances. He battled through several tough rounds to reach the continuous final, where he narrowly missed out after a close decision, earning a silver medal at his first World Championships.

Tobi Atkin also showed great composure throughout the tournament, taking silver medals in both the points and continuous teams despite some difficult decisions in his individual events.

Ant Reed collected four medals, completing the full set with one gold, two silver and one bronze. His success also saw him crowned world champion for the second consecutive year.

The standout achievement, however, belonged to 17-year-old Darcy Criddle, who fulfilled her ambition of becoming a world champion.

Having trained under Andy Crittenden at ACMAC Martial Arts since the age of five, Darcy's success represented the culmination of 12 years of dedication to the sport. She also added a bronze medal to her collection.

Her achievement means she becomes ACMAC's 46th world champion and extends the club's remarkable record of producing at least one new world champion every year since 2011.

ACMAC Martial Arts has schools across Doncaster and Bassetlaw, including Balby, Carcroft, Rossington, Stainforth, Mexborough, Worksop and Retford, as well as Staveley in Chesterfield and Shadwell in Leeds.

Anyone interested in supporting the team can contact Andy Crittenden at [email protected].