It was a case of sweet revenge for Hawke's Bay judo exponent Angus Graham during the weekend's East Coast Championships at Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena.
Napier Boys' High School Year 10 student Graham, 14, won gold in the over 81kg cadet division with a strangle submission 90 seconds into his final which was scheduled for four minutes.
Graham's opponent, Wanganui's Aidan Voine, had beaten Graham with a throw down at a Wellington tournament two years ago. "This is my first East Coast title and the first time I've met Aidan since the loss in Wellington... I'm pretty happy," Graham said.
The orange belt holder has been a judoka for the past six years but has only been a member of the Napier Judo Club for the past nine months after moving from Wellington where he was a member of the Wellington Judo and Jiu Jitsu Academy.
The Andy Truman-coached Graham regards judo as his No 1 sport.