A YOUNG wrestler is hoping to grapple with a trophy rather than an opponent after being nominated for a Young Achievers award.

Aman Sakhizadeh, of Shrivenham Road, has been chosen as one of three finalists for the 20 to 25-year-old sports category for creating and running a wrestling club for young people in the town.

The 20-year-old started wrestling when he was 15, and attended a wrestling club in Bristol. Aman, fled Afghanistan at the age of 14, after both his parents died.

Weighing just 53 kilos, the 5ft 4ins wrestler has won the English Junior Championship and the British Junior Championship in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

But he became frustrated at a lack of suitable clubs in Swindon and decided to set up his own.

Aman said: "I used to practically run the classes in Bristol."

With the help of Eileen Thomson, a former youth worker at the Parks Youth Club in Marlow Avenue, Aman helped set up wrestling classes for 14 to 19 year olds.

Eileen helped him raise funds and carry out other necessary work so he could run the classes without hassle.

And Aman soon found that older people wanted to join in.

He said: "After a while the youth club venue wasn't appropriate to hold the classes and I enlisted Eileen's help who found me a place at Dorcan School where I could hold classes for older people as well. Since then it's been going well and I hold classes for people aged seven and over.

"Tracy Mackeddie from Millennium Volunteers helped raise extra funding so that the classes could have extra equipment and also put my name up for the awards, but it was only recently I found out I had been nominated.

"I'm really happy about it. All I wanted to do was help young people do something interesting and if through this I can achieve that then it's brilliant.

Eileen said: "He's a dedicated young man who wanted to give something back to the community.

Tracy said: "Aman deserves this recognition and it is just fantastic news that he's been nominated. He's done a lot for the community and all because he just wants to help rather than for the recognition."

The Young Achievers' Awards are organised by the Young Achievers' Trust and are held to celebrate the contribution of young volunteers in England.

Aman will be attending the awards ceremony in London tomorrow where winners for categories in sport, art, environment and community will be announced.

The winner will receive £1,000 and prizes including a trip to the House of Lords and a tour of the O2 Arena.