Daniel Wright was awarded the gold medal for his weight range in the blue belt division and silver medal in the open age category for blue belt division.

Wright has been training at The Ballarat Dojo for three years under sensei Glen Stanford.

“Perseverance and having a great coach is vital, there’s always someone who keeps tapping you out,” Wright said.

“It’s like a game of chess, you always have to be one step ahead of your opponent.

“This is the third year I have competed and I’ve never cracked a gold until now.”

Infinite Mixed Martial Arts students Tony Watson, Ryan Knowles and Daniel Currie also left with gold hanging from their necks.

His third gold medal this year, Watson is now ranked number one in Australia for Blue Belt Senior Nogi.

Watson began training at 142kg and shed enough weight to compete at just over 100kg. 

Currie earned his gold medal by defeating his first opponent swiftly with a ‘Japanese necktie’ choke hold then beat his next opponent by a remarkable margin of 16 points, securing his victory in the adult 91 Kg Nogi event.

Seventeen-year-old Knowles claimed victory after a 29-second grapple, where he beat his opponent with a shoulder lock.

More than 3500 fighters across the globe descended upon the Championship at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre at the weekend, the largest competition of its kind in Australia.

david.jeans@fairfaxmedia.com.au