Merton’s boys squash team has scooped the gold medal at the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.

The team, made up of 16-year-old Blaine Herrington, of Rutlish School, Seigo Masuda, 14, of The Hall School, and Daniel Aldham, 16, of King’s College, battled their way to the final against players from all the 32 other London boroughs taking part in the youth games.

The teenage sports stars, who all train at Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club, beat Havering three games to zero in the semi-final and won against Kingston two games to one in the final.

This is the second gold medal Merton’s young athletes have won in this prestigious competition. Earlier this month students from St Ann’s School scooped the top prize in Boccia – a sport designed specifically for disabled athletes.

The London Youth Games is an annual event and every year the council searches for secondary school pupils either living or going to school in Merton to represent the borough. Team training and selections take place during the first half of the year and final squads take shape ready for preliminary competitions in June.

Merton Council’s cabinet member for environment and leisure services Councillor David Simpson said: “I am incredibly proud of Merton’s young athletes. They have been doing fantastically well in the London Youth Games, which is an extremely competitive contest. Our teams have now come first in the Boccia competition and the Squash, which is something we can all take pride in.

“We are committed to making sure that young people live healthy, active lives and have access to as wide a range of sporting opportunities as possible. It is great to see them making the most of these opportunities and winning competitions as a result of all their hard work and training.”

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