PRACTICE paid off for pupils at Markland Hill County Primary School when they ran out winners at a special netball tournament.

The small primary school is big on sport as well as academic standard, and has always had a lively interest in netball.

The children regularly join in an after-school netball club from the age of seven, with older children playing the sport at lunchtimes and getting involved in inter-school matches.

The school has strong links with Smithills High School -- the local school for netball excellence -- and has run courses to interest parents in netball coaching.

As a result of the primary school's special interest, they were granted Lottery funding via Sport England to develop netball and decided to promote the sport by running a rally.

Schools taking part, as well as Markland Hill's own A and B teams, were Ladybridge, St Thomas of Canterbury, High Lawn, Crompton Fold, Church Road and St Mary's, Horwich.

And the eventual winners after an exciting final were - Markland Hill A!

They received the trophy from Bolton Evening News editor Stephen Hughes who told all the girls how impressed he was with the standard of competition and the excellent sporting spirit in which the games were played.