JUST 18 months after leaving the sport, Chippenham kickboxer Annabelle Shoob has her sights set on a world title fight after claiming a European belt.

The 21-year-old took on Greek fighter Danae Fine for the ladies 55kg Pro-am European title and was awarded the majority decision win after going the full seven rounds.

Shoob now has her sights set on a world title bout next year but knows she has Steve and Annie Humphrey, from UKCBA gym in Evesham, to thank for getting her to where she is now.

“It is an incredible feeling and I still can’t believe it is happening,” she said after the fight.

“I am on top of the world at the moment.

“I started when I was four, so it is 16 years I have been doing this for now and I remember when I was eight and I said to my ‘I want to be a world champion’.

“Now I’m 21 and I have got to where I am.

“I have had quite a bad past with two of my old clubs and I did actually give kickboxing up about 18 months ago.

“Annie and Steve Humphrey then took me on and I have been with them for 18 months and I have had five fights, five wins and five titles out of them.

“They picked me up at a bad time and I can’t thank them enough, because without them I don’t know where I would be.”

Shoob will now fight for a Five Nations title in August and then will have to defend her European title in October before turning her attentions to a world title shot next summer.

“Physically it wasn’t my hardest fight but mentally it was,” she added.

“Depending on whether I won or lost, I would decide if I would be fighting for a world title after.

“I am now one step closer to that which is quite nerve wracking, but if I lost it would have put me a step back.’’ Shoob added: “I don’t know who I will be fighting for the world title at the moment. I will just take one fight as it comes.

“My coaches will see who is out there and who I can fight, but I will take any opponent on, I don’t care who I fight.

“I also want to say a big thank you to my sponsor DS Smith Packaging, of Devizes, and Wilsons Residential estate agents, of Westbury.”

Shoob is always on the lookout for new sponsorship and she can be contacted on a.s1994@hotmail.co.uk.