Great Barr Thai-boxer Gene Smith off to World Games

Gene Smith, aged 15, will join the England team in Calgarey in August and is currently training six days a week at K-Star, which has a gym in Oldbury.

Gene has been fighting for more than ten years and is determined to bring back the 52kg WBC belt back to Great Barr.

He said: "I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of the England team and fighting for my country.

"I am already Midlands champion and want to win in Canada and then keep defending the title and win other titles."

Gene, who attends Barr Beacon School, has a punishing training schedule which includes daily runs, gym work and sparring at K-Star.

He said: "I want to be the best, and to be the best takes hard work, which I am putting in. This is my first international competition and I know it will be an amazing experience but I am going there to win."

Gene's coach is Steve Logan, who first set up the first K-Star in Kingstanding more than 30 years ago and has subsequently opened branches in Sheldon, Oldbury, Aldridge and Birmingham city centre.

He said: "Gene is a great fighter and we were all delighted when he was chosen to fight for England at the World Muay Thai Games in Canada.

"The WBC is a global organisation and the games in Calgarey is its first major foray into the Muay Thai and we are delighted to be part of it."

He added: "However, there is not much money in Muay Thai and the fighters have to pay their own way so we are hoping Gene will find a sponsor which will make his life a lot easier and he can concentrate on doing what he does best, which is in the ring."

For more information about sponsorship opportunities with Gene Smith email design@artattack.org.uk.