England made a superb start as the action got under way at the ISF World Schools Gymnasiade.

More than 3,600 athletes from 69 countries are competing at the event in Deauville, France. It is the largest international multi-sports event for 16-to-18-year-old school students.

England are represented by Naphong Boonyaprapa, Olly Cornish, Rhys Davies and Bertie Kelly in the boys’ events, with Chris Parker as non-playing captain, and by Erin Green, Lauren Loosemore, Amy Marriott and Samadhi Udamulla in the girls’ events, with Kate Hughes as NPC.

On the first of five days of competition, the boys beat Argentina 7-0, with two wins each for Davies, Boonyaprapa and Kelly, with Kelly and Cornish Bertie combining to take the doubles.

They then faced tougher opposition from Brazil who they beat 5-2 with two wins for Davies, one apiece for Boonyaprapa and Cornish, with Boonyaprapa and Davies taking the doubles.

The girls kicked off with a 5-2 win against Brazil with two wins for Green and one each for Marriott and Udamulla. Green amnd Marriott combined to take the doubles. Their second win came against Bulgaria where Marriott took two scalps with Loosemore and Green taking one each and Marriott and Green again taking the doubles.

Prior to the competition, the event kicked off with the opening ceremony which included a two-hour march through town and then the formal greeting in the Centre Internationale de Deauville. Green and Kelly carried the flag for the English delegation through the town and Green also carried the flag into the formal arena.