City of Bradford's Phoebe Foster, who was fourth in the chest push at the Norwich Union Fun In Athletics competition for under-11s in Sheffield

Relative failures in the relay events cost City of Bradford dearly in the Norwich Union Fun In Athletics competition for under-11s at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

The boys' team, who had been pipped by Leeds in the Yorkshire Sportshall Athletics Eliminator match at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford in January, encountered the same problem in the steel city.

The four-hour match at Sheffield featured 12 teams and about 360 athletes from North, West and South Yorkshire, plus Humberside and the East Riding.

All teams were keen and raring to go after weeks of training, and both Bradford's boys and girls found out that teams they had beaten in the eliminator were keen to make amends.

All teams picked up victories on the track and on the field, and as the events unwound, things looked very close.

The consistent Leeds came first in the boys' event, winning the Grand Prix by almost half a lap and four of the field events. City of Bradford finishing second overall by just 12 points.

However, Bradford unearthed a star in Samuel Afari. He won the chest push with a throw of 9.25 metres and the standing long jump with a leap of 2.28m.

Samuel also did well in the relay but Bradford did drop points in these events.

William Giles won the balance test for Bradford, Sam Holdsworth coming joint second in the target throw and Kyle Leighton-Bingham second in the vertical jump.

Leeds winners were Abishiar Blair in the standing triple jump with a massive 6.30m, ahead of team-mate Isaac Lynch (6.02m), and Danny Wright in the vertical jump, whose margin of victory was 50 centimetres.

In the girls' event, City of Bradford finished seventh, but were still close to the top three, with Sheffield winning the competition ahead of Leeds.

The latter won the first two track races and the Grand Prix - the last event of the day.

Looking at the girls' scores, a few more points in the four relays by City of Bradford would have meant them challenging for a top spot.

It just shows that one slip in the relay can cost places.

In the individual events, Alex Walsh was ranked joint first in the balance test for Bradford, Haiqa Faroog was third in the chest push, Phoebe Foster fourth in the chest push and Lucy Hemsley fourth in the standing triple jump.

The rest of the team did very well in their individual events, which are scored together with their team- mates for the team positions.

Nerves got to some team members but they are all young and can do it again next year.

Leeds winners included Georgina Bobby' Dawson in the balance test.

The day was an excellent experience for the youngsters, with all teams and competitors being cheered on in a superb facility that caters for excellence in all sports.

It should not be too long before some of these athletes are using the facilities in the top-talent coaching squads and indoor athletics competitions, and it was great to see them particpating in what was, for some, their first real experience of cut-and-thrust athletics competitions.

Under-11 Yorkshire Sportshall Athletics Festival, English Institute of Sport, Sheffield - Girls: 1 Sheffield 413, 2 Leeds 407, 3 Kirklees 396, 4 Calderdale 328, 5 Rotherham 324, 6 Selby 322, 7 City of Bradford 315, 8 South Humberside 254, 9 Harrogate 238, 10 Hull & East Riding 235, 11 York 212, 12 Doncaster Darts 204.

Boys: 1 Leeds 407, 2 City of Bradford 395, 3 Sheffield 380, 4 Rotherham 365, 5 Calderdale 341, 6 Selby 337, 7 Kirklees 321, 8 York 282, 9 Harrogate 243, 10 Hull & East Riding 239, 11 Doncaster Darts 173, 12 South Humberside 165.

9:37am Tuesday 15th April 2008

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