About 2,000 competitors took part in the seventh BAA Gatwick Sussex Youth Games.

It featured 11 events and teams from all 13 Sussex boroughs, at three Horsham venues, Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, Horsham Park and Christ's Hospital School.

There was an Olympic-style opening ceremony for the largest sporting event in Sussex.

Commonwealth Games hammer-throwing champion Mick Jones, a former pupil of Thomas Bennett Community College (Crawley), said: "The attitude and commitment on display was amazing and all the young athletes should be extremely proud of themselves."

It was the last year of BAA Gatwick's contract to sponsor the Games.

Eastbourne pipped Brighton and Hove by just one point to win the junior mixed athletics. Horsham, only two points further adrift, were third.

The girls' basketball team were also triumphant, the boys' basketball runners-up and the boccia (a form of bowls for the disabled) team of Thomas Pratt, James Rice and Rebecca Fittall were third.

Boccia manager Richard Sankey said: "I think Thomas was the youngest competitor at the Games. He's only five and Rebecca was supported by her able-boded twin sister Kathryn."

Eastbourne girls basketball: Leanne Derbyshire, Anna Guy, Mel Bryan, Zainab, Vandu-Chicolo, Marly Zchrehie, Hannah Lord, Hannah Ravey, Liz Evans, George Nkune. Manager: Roy Masters.

Eastbourne were tenth and last in the swimming but gained 30 points with a team that had never competed before.

The restriction on selection meant no county championship swimmers were permitted to take part, but the borough misunderstood the limitations and believed they had to enter a team of non-club competitors.

Wealden's only gold medal was in the table tennis with the help of a player who had not competed at the sport.

Katy Boxall stepped in at the last minute with the team one short.

Elise Rendall, the Eastbourne sports development officer, said: "Only one girl, Emma Blick, turned up at the trials and we needed one more so Emma's friend Katy volunteered. The other players were also inexperienced so we were chuffed to get the gold."

Wealden table tennis team: Emma Blick, Katy Boxall, Chris Flynn, Stace Gothard. Manager: Paul Dunstall.

Wealden were runners-up in tennis and mixed rugby and won bronze in the mixed hockey.

Crawley, third in the Spirit Of The Games section, also achieved fourth places in the boys' basketball and table tennis.

Brighton and Hove won gold in the mixed cricket, beating Mid Sussex by two runs in the final.

Brighton and Hove mixed cricket: Arjan Shah, Owen Kernan, Peter Hodge, Rebecca Thompson, Tom Lingland, Robert Lewis, Jamie Faulkes, Rebecca Willard.

Victory in the mixed rugby plate was helped by a group of footballers.

Nicky Salmon, who co-ordinated the B and H team, said: "A group of Patcham pupils finished second in a national Brazilian football tournament in Manchester and came straight back to play rugby."

The borough gained a silver medal in the swimming and bronze in the able-bodied football for children with moderate learning disabilities.

Adur's highlight was a silver medal in the girls' football, with Lauren Westwood and Charlie Boswell outstanding.

They also won bronze in the table tennis and had fourth places in the girls' rugby and MLD football. The borough's mixed rugby team were third in the plate.

Alex Copping, nine, won four out of six games for the borough in tennis but his side struggled because they were a player short.

His grandfather, Edwin, played county tennis for Surrey.

Rother secured bronze medals in the mixed and girls' rugby. Adrian Gaylon, the SDO, said: "There was a link with St Richards School and Hastings and Bexhill club which created interest and the youngsters took to the sport."

Worthing claimed first place in the boccia thanks to the help of twins Anna and Elizabeth Williams.

Worthing boccia team: Anna Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Timothy Hayes, Georgina Foschini
Hastings claimed the MLD football title for the third time in four years and lifted the senior mixed athletics title. They were also runners-up in the boccia.

Lewes won a bronze medal in the mixed rugby and the girls' rugby team were third in the plate.

Chichester were delighted with their silver medal in the MLD football and the progress of their girls' basketball team which finished fifth.