Thai boxing: Fife teen Zia Parke all set for world championship in Venice after UK win

Former Viewforth High School pupil Parke, 16, of Wemyss, is coached in Kirkcaldy by Fighting Fit Gym supremo Kevin Cottrell, 39, who told the Fife Free Press: "From our gym, Zia is the first British champion we’ve had for maybe 10 years.

"When she arrived two years ago she’d never done anything like this before so that was really her starting out fresh.

"Every now and then you just get somebody who walks through the door of your gym and they’re just naturally gifted, naturally talented and she’s just one of those people.

“She did two fights at the competition in Barnsley, so it was a total of 10 rounds and both were points wins for her.

"In the first one she beat a young lassie from Ireland and then in the final she beat a young lassie from England.

"Zia did really well. She had spent a month at a training camp in Thailand in February – training twice a day, six days a week – which made a really big difference because that showed up during the British Championship when she displayed really nice technical style.

"Early in the final she did what we call ‘clinching’ or ‘stand up grappling’ and she just grappled and kneed her opponent to bits, excelling at that side of things.”

With an overall record of seven wins and one loss from her eight fights so far, Parke has made a very impressive start to life in Thai boxing, also known as Muay Thai, a discipline which was founded in Thailand in the mid-19th century.

In addition to appearing in Barnsley, Parke has also fought in Bolton, Glasgow, Kirkcaldy and Aberdeen.

But her biggest challenge yet will come when she appears at the aforementioned World Championships in Venice from June 22 to 25.

"I’m fully confident that we’re coming back with the title,” Cottrell added. "Saying Zia’s world class already is a very big statement to make but I certainly think she could achieve that level.

“She’s very focused, she never misses a training session that’s going. She is very strong, I watch her throw full grown men about the gym sometimes!

“I have no idea how many fights Zia would need to win to become champion in Italy as we only find out when we get there.

"Kids from all over the world will be entering this one so obviously there will be a lot more people competing in it.

"But I would imagine it will be four, five, maybe six fights. It’s always five-round fights. The length of rounds depends on the tournament you’re entering, sometimes it can be a minute and sometimes it can be a minute and a half.”

Cottrell, who himself has trained at Fighting Fit Gym for 20 years, has run it since 2015. Although he is now retired from competing in Thai boxing, he was Scottish champion twice.