CENTRAL Taekwondo Academy’s Hassan Haider has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Senior European Championships to be held in Switzerland later this month.

It’s an incredible achievement for Hassan (18), a 6th year pupil at Larbert High, to be competing at a major event in his first year in seniors. He will be the only player on the GB Team who is not a full-time, fully-funded athlete.

His team-mates will be all four of the athletes representing the UK at the Rio Olympics this summer including Olympic Champion Jade Jones and current World Champion Bianca Walkden.

Central’s founder Master David Bailey said: “Hassan is world-class and has huge potential. It’s very exciting for Central Academy to once again have a player competing alongside the superstars of Taekwondo, after the club’s Asia Bailey won a bronze medal at the last senior Euros in Azerbaijan two years ago."

Hassan’s selection came after taking silver at the German Open G1 Championships in Hamburg, a superb effort. On his way to the final Hassan defeated the world-ranked number 4 from Ireland before eventually losing out to the world no 2 from Mexico.