IT WAS a real family affair at the English Racketlon Championships as a WGC father and his two children picked up trophies. Father Stuart West and daughter Danielle West took part in the championships, sponsored by Carlton and Dunlop, on Saturday, January

IT WAS a real family affair at the English Racketlon Championships as a WGC father and his two children picked up trophies.

Father Stuart West and daughter Danielle West took part in the championships, sponsored by Carlton and Dunlop, on Saturday, January 10, with son James competing on the Sunday at the David Lloyd Centre, Essex.

Racketlon involves players competing in table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis all against a competitor one event after the other.

After the tournament, proud father Stuart said: "I was over the moon with the family's success as this was the first time we had all done such a competition.

"The long day was very competitive and very demanding physically as you raced from one racket sport to the next."

After three gruelling competitions, teenager Danielle was first to take gold by winning the women's 'B' event.

Although only 15, she managed to use her two strongest events, table tennis and tennis, to pull ahead in points and out-class the opposition before dad Stuart took the over-55's event.

Stuart had to dig deep going into the final match with the scores all square after three events.

It was down to the tennis and thanks to his supporters, particularly his daughter, Stuart won 21-16 to take the winner's position and gold, six points clear overall.

Danielle, a student at Stanborough School and a county tennis player, picked up a trophy as well as being awarded a Carlton badminton racket from the sponsors of the event.

James, competing in the Under-21's event, came up against Frederik Floether from Germany in his opening round, losing to him by nine points overall after the four events.

This ultimately cost him the title and after the day's events put him in the runners-up position.

James, 17, and also a student from Stanborough School and former Hertfordshire county tennis player, won all his squash and tennis matches on the day, his strongest two events, and picked up the runners-up trophy.

The Wests have to be thankful in many ways to Jacob P de Vries, who they met in Portugal last October.

Jacob was runner-up in the World Championships a couple of years beforehand and talked passionately about the event.