Team Camden’s archers Leon Murphy and Vladimir Stamenkovic at the London School Games and London Youth Games

Published: 11 July, 2014
by CATHERINE ETOE

SPORTY youngsters were the pride of the borough this week when they competed for honours at the London School Games and London Youth Games in the National Sports Centre Crystal Palace.

There were star performances across the board from Team Camden, with medal placings in LSG basketball and football and LYG aquathlon, while personal bests were smashed in the weightlifting.

Cllr Abdul Hai Camden Council cabinet member for culture and customers said: “This year we had over 1,000 young people engaged in both competitions and I was delighted to see our youngsters in action at Crystal Palace trying their best.” 

Camden athletes at the National Sports Centre Crystal Palace

On Thursday teams from five primary schools represented Team Camden in the LSG against 32 other London boroughs. All five were winners of competitions run by Camden Sport and Physical Activity Service and Camden School Sport Association during the academic year and they managed to better 2013’s showing by collecting medals in two events.

Basketballers from Primrose Hill School struck gold after romping through the knockouts and surviving a sudden-death free-throw shoot-out against St Mary Magdalene of Westminster in the final.

Some of Camden's younger competitors at the Games

PE lead and team manager Paul Lambert praised the group for their efforts, saying: “The way we won it with a sudden death shoot-out victory will live long in the memory of everyone involved.”

The mixed football team came close to emulating their basketball colleagues after powering into their final but were pipped to silver in a tight 1-0 loss to Haringey.

Camden girls' netball team

In the other events St Alban’s School pupils finished ninth in tri-golf despite only picking up clubs for the first time in May, while New End School were ninth in the tennis.

On the track and field Gospel Oak pupils finished 11th in the quadkids event while gym stars from St Aloysius and Primrose Hill took 24th and 19th places in the Year 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 keysteps competition respectively. 

In the pool the swimmers were 18th of 31 boroughs.

In the final two days of LYG action Team Camden’s secondary pupils chased glory on several fronts, taking bronze in the Year 7 aquathlon, to bring the overall medal tally to 16.

The girls football team narrowly missed out when they lost 2-0 in the quarters to eventual winners Waltham Forest while the boys battled to a ninth-place finish. The female and male squash teams served up ninth and 11th placed finishes respectively.

Haverstock School pupil Yusef Oureshi was an impressive eighth in the weightlifting, breaking personal bests in the 100kg jerk and 70kg snatch. 

All told, Camden entered 25 sports in the LYG, finishing 22nd of 33 boroughs, five places higher than in 2013. Teams were co-ordinated by the Camden Sport and Physical Activity Service.