Islington youngsters sprang a surprise as they claimed an unexpected gold medal in the London Youth Games water polo mini competition at Crystal Palace.
The borough team, which included students from Hanover, Canonbury, St John’s Highbury Vale and Laycock schools, stormed through their group with some impressive displays, notably a 10-2 win over Greenwich.
Islington went into the semi-finals as underdogs against a strong Brent team, but they triumphed 8-6 and advanced to the final, overcoming Havering 6-3 to seal the gold medal.
Team manager Paul Subaran said: “The team is a mixture of footballers and swimmers – we tried to get a team of good throwers, good swimmers, people who understand the game tactically and it seemed to work.
“I thought they were going to do all right, but I didn’t expect to win. During the day, though, I saw how much they were putting into it. It means the world to them.”
Water polo is one of 31 sports being featured in this year’s London Youth Games, which is the largest annual youth sports event in Europe.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here