St Mary Magdalene Academy last week welcomed a host of international athletes, all hoping to compete at the 2012 Olympics in London. This event was arranged by the Premier League 4 Sports initiative, led by Arsenal in the Community.

The initiative, which is aimed at promoting a variety of sports within the community, invited teams from Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal. Several of our pupils represented Arsenal in badminton, hockey, table tennis, judo and netball during the event.

Some of our lucky pupils had the opportunity to play in a mixed doubles badminton game against badminton silver medallist Gail Emms and gold medal sprinter Darren Campbell. Also they got to show off their table tennis skills against ex-Chelsea and England star Graeme Le Saux and complete a small training session with two England hockey representatives.

The evening continued with presentations from the FA Chief Executive David Scudamore, as well as interviews by Sports Radio Five and The Times newspaper. The official FA Premiership trophy was also on display, which gave ample opportunities for our pupils (and teachers) to have photos taken with the prestigious trophy.

The successful event was complimented by organisers who commented on how wonderful our school facilities were and how well our pupils conducted themselves.