A EUROPEAN martial arts champion from West Fife has said she is looking forward to competing on the global stage this week.

Amy McNair, who lives in Dunfermline, is representing Scotland at the ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) World Championships in Tampere, Finland, this week.

The 17-year-old, who is a member of NP Taekwon-Do Academy, based in the city's Walmer Drive, heads to the competition having won gold in the junior girls' special technique discipline earlier this year in the ITF European Championships.

In addition to having been selected to compete in the special technique discipline, Amy will also be looking for success in patterns, power breaking and sparring, having come close to a medal in the latter at the European competition, which was held in Romania.

She is due to compete in the special technique and sparring on day one of the event tomorrow (Wednesday), before taking part in power breaking on Thursday, and patterns on Friday.

Speaking to Press Sport before heading to the competition, Amy said: "I am looking forward to it. It'll be good to go and do another big competition.

"I just missed out on a medal for the sparring in Romania. I won two rounds and the quarter-finals, I can't remember what the score was, but I'm sure it was 3-1 or something. It was a bit disappointing.

"I know now, when I watch it back, I could've done more to win. I was absolutely knackered by the third round. You've already been out there for a few days, you've travelled over there, you've done your weigh-in, you're tired.

"It's not long after the weigh-in you have to go up and compete, it's the day after, so you don't have much time to get more food in. It was my first competition, so I didn't really know what to expect, being there.

"Special technique went on for two-and-a-half hours, so that was a long time, and then the sparring was just as bad, it was about two-and-a-half hours, three hours, for the whole division to finish. It was a long time waiting to go up as well.

"I'll know what to expect. I'll know what's coming this time, instead of going in a bit apprehensive about it."

Amy will be joined at the competition by another NP Taekwon-Do star, Reese Purves, who has been selected to competed for Scotland as a pre junior.

Reese is due to compete in the patterns discipline tomorrow, and in the sparring on Thursday, and both will be able to rely on the support of their coach, Nik Purves, at the event.