Persimmon Homes East Scotland has made a £500 investment in success by sponsoring an up-and-coming Scottish Taekwondo star.
Earlier this year, 14-year-old Asia Bailey created Taekwondo history when she represented Great Britain at the 9th WTF Junior World Championships in Egypt and became the first-ever Scottish Taekwondo player to achieve a podium finish.
Her achievement in Sharm El Sheik was even more significant as Asia was Britain’s only medallist and is now being tipped as a GB medal hopeful in the 2016 major sporting event.
Persimmon Homes East Scotland Managing Director, Jim Kirkpatrick, said: “Asia is a rising Scottish star who has fast-tracked her way to medal success.
“The financial constraints put on our potential champions are huge, and Persimmon Homes is absolutely delighted to invest in Asia’s future and help out in any way we can with her training costs. We wish her all the very best of luck over the coming year.”
Asia, a pupil at Larbert High School, Stenhousemuir, was selected to represent Team GB after a series of impressive performances at A Class tournaments around Europe, which included winning the prestigious Dutch Open Championships. She’ll be training with the GB national squad at various training camps over the coming months.
Asia is a member of Central Taekwondo Academy, based at Carronshore Community Centre, which is run by her proud parents David and Angie Bailey.
David said: “We are so pleased for Asia and she really deserves her success. She works very hard and is totally dedicated to her training. She only started competing seriously last year and the rate at which she has progressed has been amazing.”
Asia became World Bronze Medallist after reaching the semi-final of the Junior Female under 42kg division. Not only is she Scotland’s first world medallist, she is also the youngest-ever British contestant to win a medal at a world championship since they were introduced back in 1973.