CITY primary school pupils have been praised for their efforts in one of the South West's leading hockey festivals.

Plymouth hockey supremo Jamie Oxley hailed the ninth Primary Mixed Hockey Festival at Marjon as a huge success.

Widey Court won the OPM Cup, but Oxley said the standard of play from all schools was excellent.

He said: "It's been nine years since I set up the festival and the standard of hockey and umpiring continues to amaze me.

"It is a great event and demonstrates the continued growth and standard of the sport in the city."

The two-day event attracted 58 teams from 49 schools from Plymouth and its surrounding villages.

Players also received coaching from Great Britain Olympian Calum Giles.

Oxley praised the team of volunteers from UCP Marjon, Ivybridge, DHS Boys, Plymstock, Coombe Dean, Ridgeway, St Boniface College, Hele's, Sir John Hunt and Stoke Damerel and the local clubs, who all enabled the event to run so smoothly.

Many of them qualified as foundation umpires days before the event, with the support of Devon umpire president Paddy Porter, Julia Gill and Pete Hammond who all provided coaching during the tournament.

National development manager Jane Nockolds, who has been to several Olympics, made a special visit to speak to all the umpires.

Porter presented 13-year-old Nick Fennell from DHS Boys and Plymouth Marjon, with the young umpire award for his overall performance umpiring with Ben Lock (OPM and DHS Boys) in the final.

In an end-to-end cup final Widey Court edged out Holbeton 3-2, with Charlotte Bates (Widey) and Alfonso Salcines (Holbeton) receiving the top player awards presented by Giles, who represented Great Britain 143 times.

Some players were selected to attend the annual primary centres of excellence, with Giles supporting the four-week programme.