The Winter School Games takes place at the Sportspark where swimming, hockey, table tennis and sports hall athletics made up the final day of the event and gave a chance for participants to meet Paralympic silver medallist Mel Clarke. PHOTO BY SIMON FINLAY

Youngsters from West Norfolk took the top honours as hundreds of children shed blood, sweat and tears in the final day of the Norfolk Winter Games.

The week-long event culminated today in a sporting extravaganza at the UEA Sportspark which saw 600 competitors take part in swimming, quick-sticks hockey, table tennis and Sportshall athletics competitions.

Noise filled the Norwich sports centre as parents, classmates and teammates cheered from the sidelines - and tension was high as the hockey final went down to nail-biting golden goal, swimming races were won by a whisker and there was a tie for third spot in Sportshall athletics.

Winners stood proudly on the podium to pick up their medals and youngsters took inspiration from Paralympic silver medallist Mel Clarke, who opened the day’s activities.

The curtain was drawn on the five-day event with a closing ceremony where the West Norfolk School Sport Partnership was announced as the overall winning team for the Norfolk Winter School Games 2013.

Team manager Joe Dixon said: “We’re thrilled and so happy for all the children who put in the commitment and hard work all week.

“They have been really consistent and although we have had some fantastically outstanding performances, it’s that consistency of performance that’s pulled us through to a great result.”

St Martha’s pupil Daniel Aviss, 10, who was part of the winning West Norfolk team and part of the hockey team which beat East Norfolk in the final on a golden goal, said it felt “awesome” to win.

He said: “It’s been really good fun, especially as we worked together. It came down to a golden goal and it was so tense, it was really exciting.”

It is the first time Norfolk has hosted a Winter School Games which saw 2,000 youngsters compete in eight different sports over five days.

Each competitor represented their school sport partnership as they competed in skiing, cross country, badminton, tag rugby, Sportshall athletics, swimming, table tennis and hockey.

The county school championships were the culmination of months of inter- and intra- school competitions.

A Summer School Games, for which qualifiers will now begin, will be held in July.

Norfolk School Games organiser Stephen Hulme said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic. We’ve had lots of smiling faces and some really talented young people compete as well as youngsters who have never competed at a competition of this level before.

“It’s been a perfect week of sport and we are really pleased with how it’s gone.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the school sport partnerships, the UEA Sportspark as our sponsor and the EDP and Radio Norfolk as our media partners.”

The Sainsbury’s Norfolk School Games is organised by Active Norfolk and Norfolk School Sport Partnerships and sponsored by the UEA Sportspark, with the Eastern Daily Press and BBC Radio Norfolk as media partners.

Don’t miss Monday’s paper for more from the Norfolk Winter School Games.

The winners:

Hockey

West Norfolk

Table tennis

South Norfolk

Sportshall athletics for small (under 100 pupils) primary schools

Breckland

Sportshall athletics for large primary schools

Norwich East

Swimming

West Norfolk

Overall winner of the Norfolk Winter School Games 2013

West Norfolk