It certainly was an action-packed few months of sport over the summer, with incredible events like the Olympics, Paralympics, and the Euros captivating audiences around the world. Closer to home, a few of our very own Cheam pupils were making waves on the international stage, competing at the Gothia Cup in Sweden – the world’s largest international youth football tournament, which sees around 1,700 teams from 80 nations participating in various age groups.
We had a strong Cheam representation, with several students competing for different clubs and age categories. First, a big well done to Roddy, whose team fought their way to the first round of the knockout stages. Chloe, impressively playing for a Boys Under-12 club team, was a standout player, scoring in multiple matches and helping her team reach the semi-finals.
Louis also put in a stellar performance with his Under-13 team, which saw them draw all three group-stage games before winning two thrilling knockout matches. They made it all the way to the last 16, where they were narrowly defeated.
Finally, Harrison, Alexander, William, and Wilfred competed as part of an Under-12 Lions Prep School team. After a tough group stage, the boys found their rhythm and made it all the way to the plate final. Incredibly, they won six consecutive knockout matches, defeating teams from Germany, England, Spain, Mexico and Sweden to reach the final. Facing a strong American team that had previously beaten them 7-1 in the group stage, the boys fought hard to take the match to 1-1, leading to a nail-biting penalty shootout. This time, unlike the England senior team, they triumphed – with Wilf scoring the winning penalty. What an extraordinary achievement for them!
A huge congratulations to all of our pupils who took part – it was a brilliant summer of sport and we can’t wait to see what the upcoming hockey and football seasons holds for both the boys and girls. Well done!
10 Dec 2024 
