ROSYTH hit-kid Ryan Hanley is on top of the world after bagging his fourth global title – just two years since he began competing.

The talented 12-year-old, a pupil at Dunfermline High School, travelled to the World Karate and Kickboxing Commission (WKC) World Championships in Orlando, Florida, to compete for Scotland.

And a successful saw him return home as the world champion in the light continuous discipline.

Ryan, of Peasehill Brae, was helped to Orlando by sponsorship from Arnold Clark and a donation from the Rosyth Gothenburg Trust and took gold to follow up wins at last year’s event in Dublin, and the ISKA World Kickboxing Championships in Germany in 2016, and in Athens earlier this year.

In addition, almost immediately after landing back home in Scotland, he attended trials for the prestigious Team TopTen UK – an international kickboxing team whose previous members have competed in taekwondo in the Olympics – and was successful.

Proud dad Kevin said: “This was one of the toughest competitions he’s had. He won it last year in Dublin and was in a hard group with people from the United States and Canada. Their teams were massive so I believe the quality was of a high standard.

“He won two world titles last year and has won two this year in light continuous, so he’s done fantastically well. He goes out with the attitude that, if he gives 100 per cent, he can have no complaints.

“He knew it would be a challenge going out there and facing guys from America, Canada and South America, so he had to up his game. He did that and did extra training; when he wasn’t at the club, he was in the garage, which we’ve got kitted out.

“Ryan trains 4-5 nights a week and the school have been good as well. He’s really grounded and I’m not sure I’m more excited than him! They had a ball and he really enjoyed it. When he came back, he got off his flight, came home, changed, had a bit of toast and went to the UK Top 10 Team trials in Edinburgh. He performed well and, last Monday, found out he was in that as well. It’s a high standard; he’ll be one of the youngest there but he can’t wait.”

Ryan, who trains with the Dundee-based Skyaxe club and with Garry Wilson Kickboxing in Rosyth, took up kickboxing in 2014 and is set to move up to cadet level next year, where he’ll compete against youngsters up to the ages of 15 and 16.

Kevin added: “He’ll be 13 next year so he has to move to cadets. He’ll be light compared to some of the guys and knows it’ll be a different story because he’ll be facing bigger lads who have been doing it for longer.

“But he sees it as a learning curve and a challenge.”