TWO Dorset karate kids will travel to Las Vegas this Easter to pit their skills against champions from around the world.

Carla Rudkin-Guillen, 10, and 15-year-old Louis Naraine will be among just a handful of youngsters from the UK to compete in the USA Open.

For the young pair, who hope to compete in the Olympic Games in the future, the event marks the culmination of years of study and preparation.

Over the course of the past few months, both have trained up to six days a week, including mammoth five-hour sessions at weekends.

The dedicated youngsters, who were selected for the US event from 300 students at the Southern England Karate Federation (SEKF), already have a clutch of medals and titles to their names.

Louis, from Bournemouth, is the current Four Nations champion in his age and weight class for Kumite karate, which involves contact with your opponent to score points.

He is a member of the Cadet England squad and is working towards selection to represent England in the World Junior Championships in Tenerife later this year.

Carla, from Ferndown, has competed at many national competitions, winning medals for Kata - a series of pre-set moves based on fighting imaginary opponents.

She recently returned from a training camp in Madrid with a former world and European team Kata champion. She is also the current Western Karate Union and SEKF under-12 Kata champion

Collin Rudkin, SEKF founder and a former England Elite Squad member, said the event in Las Vegas would see them both face “all the best juniors from around the world".

And, with karate now accepted as an Olympic sport for Tokyo 2020, he added: “These guys could end up going to the Olympics.

"That’s the end goal, and that’s what they are training so hard for - to be selected to represent Great Britain.’

Louis said: “Competing at the USA open will be one of the highlights of my karate journey so far. I cannot wait to fight internationally and hopefully bring home a medal."

Carla, who said she wants to "train hard and win trophies", said: “I am really looking forward to competing at the USA Open, especially as I feel well prepared to face the challenge."

The SEKF is looking for local business sponsorship to assist with the cost of sending its elite athletes to compete internationally in the future.

For more information, contact Collin Rudkin direct on 07966 303 585.