Bradford Girls under-18s finished runners-up in the English National Pronfield Knockout Cup table tennis finals in Liverpool.

This is the first time that the Girls team have reached this stage of the competition, and the team of Nichola White, 16, Heather Shutt, 14, and Katie Lightowler, 16, blazed a trail through the first two rounds.

They thrashed Leeds 5-1 and High Wycombe 5-0 before narrowly losing to Darlington 5-3.

Bradford Girls were going for a cup double, having won the under-14s national cup two years ago.

The trio have been practising together since the ages of seven, six and nine with the City and Oakbank Junior Development Scheme. They have showed real Yorkshire grit and insisted they will be back next year to win the doubles crown.

Nichola was unbeaten all day, winning seven sets, while Heather and Katie both won three sets each.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire County player Oye Jemiyo, 27, has returned home with three medals from the British Table Tennis Association Disabled National Championships held at Grantham.

For the last eight years Oye has fought his way from beginner to the very top in England, with the help of City and Oakbank Development Scheme coaches.

Oye won gold in the class two wheelchair singles, beating John Leighton from Wakefield in the finals in straight sets.

He went on to win two bronze medals in class three and the men's open class.

These three medals are just

reward for Oye after recent health problems.

He has been in and out of hospital on three occasions this season, spoiling his preparations for the championships, but Oye has a

natural ability to fight back, and he has recovered in fine style to become national champion.