The 2010 Junior World Championships got underway on Thursday in Agadir, Morocco with the under 44, 48, 55 and 60kg categories in action.

Four British fighters took to the mat on day one as Hayley Willis, Freya Dechastelain, Kelly Edwards and Brandon Dodge chased world glory.

Hayley Willis opened her tournament with a bout against Turkey’s two-time national u20 champion Esma Dademir.

The 14-year-old from Dagenham put up a very respectable effort as her conqueror Dademir, whose five years her senior, advanced after two waza-ari and two yuko scores.

In the 48kg division Freya Dechastelain started with a contest against Australian Alice Coppleman. Freya immediately took the initiative and after unbalancing and forcing her opponent to the floor secured an osaekomi waza technique to win the bout by ippon in the opening minute.

That emphatic victory saw the 16-year-old book a second round clash against French prodigy Scarlett Gabrielli who took silver in the Junior European’s in September while Freya claimed bronze at the event.

The Wolverhampton product battled well and pressed for an opening but was thrown for ippon by the accomplished 19-year-old.

In the same category Kelly Edwards faced China's Jiawen Ma in the second after both competitors had a bye in the opening round. Edwards scored a waza-ari and yuko score to progress to the third round and a match against Italian Anna Bartole.

Both fighters searched for an edge but the Italian took the initiative and forced Kelly Edwards to produce some defiant defensive work. The bout went down to flags and Bartole was awarded the decision.

In the under 55kg category Brandon Dodge and Imad Bassou of Morocco both started with a bye which produced a second round meeting between the two. After registering a yuko score Dodge won by ippon after securing an osaekomi waza technique.

That victory saw the Welshman move on to face Brazil’s Sergio Nascimento. The impressive Swansea judoka caught the pocket-sized Brazilian in a sankaku to win by ippon.

Next up was Japan’s Seiken Fujisawa who got the better of Dodge by scoring a yuko before following up with an ippon which saw the British hope revert to the repechage.

In the repechage the 19-year-old faced Italy’s Fabio Basile who triumphed by a waza-ari and yuko score.