Sheffield Muay Thai fighter Ali Hussain, 13, qualifies to represent GB at World Championships

But now Ali Hussain needs help getting there.

Following his recent success winning gold at the European Championships, Ali again qualified to represent Team GB, and this time at the World Championships in Malaysia.

In February this year, Ali won gold for his weight class in Muay Thai, making him a European champion. After the victory, Ali’s father, Asif Hussain, was incredibly proud of his achievements.

"For myself, it was the proudest moment ever to see him on that stage, to see all that hard work he has put in over the last eight years finally pay off and him getting the recognition he deserves to be one of the top athletes for Team GB,” said Asif.

Now, four months later, Ali is heading abroad for more championships after qualifying for the World finals through a series of Team GB trials.

The trials saw Ali take part in a range of activities with Team GB in Crewe, including stamina tests and technique work, and this made him eligible for the Muay Thai squad.

The championships will be held in Malaysia in August this year, and Ali and his family are keen to progress on his previous achievements as he aims for success at this tournament – this time on a global level.

Asif Hussain said: “He is so excited – he wants to do the Worlds after doing the Europeans. He has got a gold medal and now he wants to do the worlds as well and get them both done in 2022."

Asif is looking to raise some funds to get Ali to Malaysia with the trip costing around £6000 in total.

"The only issue is that it is going to cost around £6000. I have just put a fundraising post up yesterday for him.

"I’m just trying to get as much publicity as possible so I can raise as much money as I can for Ali.

You can donate and help Ali get to Malaysia in August here.