Netball was one of 17 sports at the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games finals at the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace at the weekend, where 9,000 young people from 33 London boroughs competed.

Redbridge captain Lauren Dawkins insists their best is yet to come after they took the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games title at Crystal Palace. Dawkins led from the front as Redbridge beat off Bromley 9-2 to book themselves a place in the final where they comfortably overcame Barking & Dagenham 12-2.

The 14-year-old and her teammate’s names will now go down in history alongside Rio Ferdinand, Christine Ohuruogu and Bradley Wiggins – who all took part in their formative years. And Dawkins is adamant Redbridge’s victory will help inspire the whole team to achieve bigger and better things.

“This has been a really good team effort from all of the girls, we worked hard and our talent managed to shine through,” said Dawkins. “It was a hard time for us out there but we are so pleased to have the gold medals around our necks and be crowned champions. “It is a huge thing to say that we have won the London Youth Games and I hope this success can spur us on to even greater glory.”

Barking & Dagenham picked up the silver medal after their 12-2 defeat to Redbridge in the final while Havering and Bromley picked up bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals.