This Is Guernsey

Kate Stubbington finished third in the girls’ individual event. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0551249)

SUNDAY’S British Primary Schools’ Individual Championships resulted in a Sarnian on the podium.

The players were divided into groups and the first two in each would qualify for the knockout stages while the losers would qualify for the consolation event.

For the boys, both the Stacey twins, Joshua and Lawrence, got through, finishing second in their groups, while Joshua Butler finished fourth and took his place in the consolation event.

Both Kate Stubbington and Rachel Harm won through, the former having topped her group while the latter suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to Emma Torkington to finish second in hers.

Chloe Le Tissier and Naomi Priest both failed to qualify in their groups and took part in the girls’ consolation event.

In the boys’ consolation knockout, Butler beat Michael Jones of Ireland in the first round but then lost to Scotland’s Blair Fowler.

In the main event both Staceys lost in their first matches, Joshua to England’s Sam Mobey and Lawrence to Scotland’s Garry Wright.

With Le Tissier losing to Lauren Cundy of Wales and Priest to Amy Robinson of Ireland in the first round of the consolation event, Guernsey hopes were left with the top two girls.

With Stubbington seeded number two for the knockout stages, she was automatically placed in the quarter-finals while Harm had to face Alice Williams, Scotland’s number two, in the preliminary round.

After an easy win in her first game, Harm was suddenly knocked back by the Scottish girl as she powered back to take a 2-1 lead.

But the Sarnian dug deep and playing table tennis better than anyone had ever seen her before, she turned on the power to win the fourth and then the match with a fine 11-7 victory in the decider.

In the quarter-finals, Stubbington took on Lea Dickinson of England and like Harm recovered well after being 2-1 down to win her game 3-2 and book herself a semi-final spot and a guaranteed medal.

Harm faced Tin Tin Ho, the England number one and top seed, in her quarter-final and lost 7-11, 6-11, 9-11 in a hard fought game.

In the semi-finals, Stubbington faced Torkington, whom she had beaten in the group stages, but this time the English girl was in great form and the Sarnian had to settle for her bronze medal, losing the match 3-11, 3-11, 9-11.

In the final Tin Tin Ho beat Torkington while in the boys’ event another all-England final went the way of their top seed, Helshan Weeerasinghe.

The Guernsey team, their coaches and all involved in the event can be justly proud of the results they achieved and the effort the boys and girls put in.

For many of the top players this was their last time at these championships so next year the island will be relying on the youngsters who, with the benefit of this experience and another year’s training, can, it is hoped, shine when they go to Blackburn for the 2009 event.