A team of local football prospects proved that the sporting future in Wisbech is looking bright by lifting the prestigious Smooga Cup.

For the past two years, a primary school has been picked from thousands to host the cup and this year, Emneth Primary was handed the honour.

Youngsters from Emneth, Anthony Cureton and Orchards Primary school took part, and the latter lifted the cup after showing off their impressive skills.

Nicola Parker, head teacher at Orchards Primary school, was delighted to see her school’s talents succeed.

“It is definitely the biggest cup any team at Orchards has ever won and we are all hugely proud of them all,” she said.

“It caused a huge gasp and ‘wow’ when I brought the cup out in assembly and it’s now proudly displayed outside my office.

“A special mention has to go to Dominika who was awarded man-of-the-match by the Smooga Team across all the competitors on the day. We were also proud that we sent a group of boys and girls to play in the tournament, with a real focus on team spirit.

“The win is a great example of our new motto, “Yes I can!” which is borrowed from the Paralympics and fits really well with our current assembly theme of perseverance. Some things are not easy to achieve, or take hours of practice, but at Orchards the focus is having a growth mindset and to keep trying to achieve our goals.”

Keith Place, co-founder of Smooga, said: “Emneth Primary School were invited to host the Smooga Cup because of the team’s commitment and positive approach to ensuring inclusive sport for all. Putting on this fabulous event the school has demonstrated what can be achieved by teamwork, just as the players have demonstrated some great teamwork on the pitch.

“We would like to congratulate the winning teams and the students who played so hard today, giving it their absolute all.

“Who knows, maybe Emneth Primary School’s Smooga Cup tournament has just encouraged the next Rooney or Beckham!”