A paralympic athlete won a bronze medal at a European powerlifting competition and now has his sights on the Rio games in 2016.

Ali Jawad, 24, of St Ann’s Road, Tottenham, competed at the IPC 2013 Powerlifting European Open Championship last week.

He was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition that affects digestion, and said despite this he missed out on the gold medal by just 3kg.

Mr Jawad said: “It was really good to get back into it because I haven’t competed since the London Paralympics.

“I wasn’t nervous at all because I have been doing this for a while and I love having so many people just cheering me on, it’s a rush.

“I feel really positive because I have been really sick recently and despite this I did really well.”

The 24-year-old wants to make sure he gets his Crohn’s treated once and for all so he can focus all his energy on doing well at the games in Rio.

He said: “I don’t want to look back and think I could have done more to succeed – I don’t want any regrets.

“I think if I get back up to full health I have a really good chance of competing for gold at the next paralympic competition.”

Mr Jawad first discovered a talent for the sport when he was 16 and dreams of becoming either a coach or a commentator when he stops competing.