MEMBERS of a West Devon youth tennis team which has been training since May were told they were unable to take part in the Devon Games to Inspire 2013 just three days before the event because of a lack of girls.

The three boys were left upset and disappointed when told by their tennis coach they could not participate because not enough girls of the right age could be found in West Devon to make up the team of six.

Okehampton Community Recreation Association (OCRA), which has been getting teams together for the Devon Games and providing training, said it had tried its hardest to find girls in school Years 6, 7 and 8 right up to the last minute to take part but to no avail.

Around 2,000 young people from across the county were at Torquay last Sunday to represent their local area in a mini-Olympics style competition following a selection process at trials for each sport and follow-up training to prepare for the big day.

Lynette Rogers from Okehampton, whose son Benjamin, 12, was in the tennis team said the games was a fantastic event which her son had taken part in before and won medals for gymnastics and fair play.

'Benjamin concentrated on tennis this year and attended the training sessions,' she said. 'If we knew sooner they were struggling to find girls he maybe would have gone for something else.

'Our family outings and weekends have been planned around the training and the games and then at the last minute the boys are told they cannot take part.

'It is so disappointing after they had trained so hard to be denied the opportunity to participate by the Devon Games organisers, despite the fact that fair play and sportsmanship are at the forefront of this event.

'Such efforts by our young people should be recognised, and to be cast aside in such an insensitive manner is surely contrary to the spirit of the Devon Games not to mention Britain's Olympic Legacy and, ironically, has come only days after Andy Murray's epic Wimbledon win.'

Manager of OCRA Stuart Lord said they had spoken to the tennis club and the schools and to people throughout the community in a bid to get three girls to join the team. The event was not open to elite players.

'We did not want to let anybody down,' he said. 'No stone has been left unturned to try and find girls to take part. We passionately believe in sport and want people to join in, build up skills and take part in community life.

'Unfortunately, on this particular occasion the outcome was not what we wanted but the training is not wasted and Okehampton Tennis Club is looking to put on an event later this year which the boys can take part in.'

Mr Lord said OCRA had asked organisers of the Devon Games if younger girls could fill the gap or if the team could take part with less members even though it would end in defeat, but they said no.

'I understand the frustration of the boys and their parents but the reason we left it so late to tell them they could not take part was because we still thought we might be successful in finding female members.'

He said they were able to allocate one of the boys to another sport.

Around 100 children from West Devon were involved in the Devon Games this year, which saw 21 sporting events.