HANNAH Griffin, who plays for Whitnash Windmill Club, near Leamington, came away with a silver medal at the European Pétanque Championships in The Netherlands.
Griffin made history for England, along with partner Alex Spillett from Kent, as the pair finished on the podium with a silver in the inaugural European Pétanque Confederation (CEP) Women’s Doubles.
The duo, coached by Jeremy Huntley, were beaten 13-9 in the final by Monaco having chalked up impressive wins against Belgium, hosts Netherlands and Spain – all leading nations in pétanque.
Griffin said: “Really enjoyed playing with Alex! We have had the best time. I felt really comfortable throughout with my teammate!”
Spillett added: “What can I say, what a week! So proud of Hannah and I, one of the best championships ever!”
England finished the event with two medals after Matthew Eversden and Jack Blows came away with bronze in the senior men’s format.
The championships were held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch’s famous town square The Parade with 26 covered pétanque terrains created especially for the occasion.
Thousands of spectators in attendance created a carnival atmosphere as nations from across Europe competed in Singles (Men and Women), Doubles (Men and Women) and Mixed Doubles.
Colin Roper, Pétanque England’s Head of Delegation at the Championships, said: “These are undoubtedly the best results we have achieved at international level in our sport.”
“This is a very competitive environment where we face big challenges over an intense few days. We’ve really hit new heights and I’m delighted for our players and coaches.”
