Carisbrooke College took to the tables on Monday for the Isle of Wight Individual Championships, and what a brilliant afternoon of sporting spirit, skill and sheer determination it turned out to be! A huge thank you to the organisers for hosting such a superb event.

Our U16 trio were thrown straight into the deep end, taking on not only the best players on the island, but also high-quality competitors who compete at Hampshire level.

Logan M led the charge in style, chalking up 2 wins from 4 games and securing 3rd place overall in his group. His sharp reactions and relentless rallies made him one of the standout competitors of the day and was very close to scrapping a few more wins.

Meanwhile, Dylan M and Harry M both battled superbly across tough groups, each notching 1 win from their four matches and finishing 4th in their respective groups. Despite facing some of the strongest opponents in the tournament, they held their nerve and showed fantastic resilience and sportsmanship throughout.

The boys should be incredibly proud as this was top-tier table tennis, and they absolutely belonged there.  Thank you to Ted and Noah for coming and supporting their peers after narrowly missing out on qualifying for the competition.

Our younger competitors, Joshua P and Joseph P, were up against the very best the island had to offer and they rose to the moment brilliantly.

Joshua P had the toughest possible start, facing not only the eventual competition winner but also the player who finished third overall. After those early battles in which he nearly pulled off his first win, he found his rhythm and won the rest of his matches, earning a deserved 3rd place in his group. A superb turnaround and well done for holding your nerve in a couple of sets which went to sudden death.

But the spotlight of the day shone brightest on Joseph P, whose performance was nothing short of exceptional. He won every match in his group in style, then powered through a tense semi-final to reach the final against the highest-ranked player in the category.

In true Joseph style, calm, casual, and quietly confident he fought hard across both sets, narrowly missing out on the title. But his efforts earned him the runner-up medal and something even more special: qualification for the Hampshire Championships at Solent University in January. This is the first time a Carisbrooke College student has qualified for the Hampshire competition, a historic achievement. Huge congratulations, Joseph!

Every one of our players represented Carisbrooke College with pride, passion, and perseverance. From gritty rallies to moments of pure brilliance, they showcased exactly what makes our teams so special.

Well done to all involved and bring on the next challenge for our students which will be the Carisbrooke College World Famous Championship (or at least it will be) in the new year.