Two players from Barnet took their first titles in the fifth annual Jack Petchey London Schools’ Individual table tennis finals at the University of East London’s SportsDock.

Joseph Durling, aged 11, from Barnes Primary School, took top honours in the boys’ Under-11 category beating Matthew Pang from Fircroft School in Wandsworth 3-0 (11-7 12-10 11-5).

Durling defeated Harry Derecki (Ashburnham Primary) 14-12 in the fifth set in the semi-final, having already come from 2-0 in the quarter-finals to beat his school-mate Kian Shayegan.

He said: "It feels really good. I thought I had a chance at the start but I wasn’t completely confident.

"It was difficult - I won when I was 2-0 down in the quarter-finals and then in the next match I only won by two points in the fifth. I’m thrilled I won and I really enjoyed it."

The boys’ Under-13 category was won by Zaiim Premji, aged 13 and from Queen Elizabeth Boys School, who beat school-mate Jamie Watkin-Rees.

He did not drop a set in the competition, though the final was always close before Premji won it 11-9, 11-9, 13-11.

He enthused: "I feel really pleased because I haven’t won it before and I think I had some really good competition.

"It’s always hard when you play someone from the same school and we train at the same club as well (Urban)."

Premji is ranked 16 in the country in the Cadet Class Under-13 and has been playing for five years.