Hamilton kid aims for major title in 'forgotten Scottish national sport'
A young champion of a ‘forgotten Scottish national sport’ hopes to return from France with another crown.
This year’s Internationaux de Back-Hold Championships in Pontivy, France, kicks off the season on February 15, and 13-year-old Keiva Sherlock hopes to come out on top as part of Team Baxter.
Last year, Keiva took first place in the 40kg category, aged 12, in the major competition, which takes place in Brittany every year.
Calderside Academy second-year pupil Keiva is now 13-years-old, and in the 45kg group, but hopes for the same result.
Proud mum Gillian said: “Keiva goes out to fight and this year she’s at 45kg. It’s a good way to start the season, and it could be a good confidence boost for her as well.
“She finished first in her category last year, but I don’t know how confident she is.
“Keiva doesn’t say much, she just goes in, gets her head down, and gets on with it.
“That sometimes results in her beating herself up, and gets things in her head, but everybody rallies around her and keeps her thinking positive.
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“So if she goes to France and wins something I would be really proud of her.
“I’ve got everything crossed, but I don’t want to jinx it, because she’s really hard on herself.”
Keiva, who is sponsored by personal trainer Nikki Chandler at Full Throttle, won the club championship at Red Road Wrestling Club in Maryhill and immerses herself in the sport.
Gillian added: “I’ve got two boys who play football and I took Keiva to dancing.
“She came out and said she doesn’t like it, doesn’t want to do it anymore, but wants to do ‘that’, pointing to back-hold wrestling, and she has been doing it ever since.
“She loves it. Keiva is very active, and back-hold wrestling is her sport. She knows everything about it, wants to learn about it constantly and it’s great for the history of Scotland.
“It is a national Scottish sport that has sort of dwindled away, there are only a handful of clubs in Scotland that still do it.
“It’s nice for her to be a part of it.”
