TEENAGERS Charlotte Hanson and Anna Richardson, both from the North-East, were among the top goalscorers in the Hungarian water polo cup competition last month.

They scored a total of 14 goals between them during the six cup matches, which was a third of the total goals. Charlotte was the leading scorer with eight.

They had been invited to play with the team from the city of Gyor as there is an academic link between it and Grantham College, where Charlotte studies.

This was the first time the Gyor team had entered the cup and Charlotte and Anna played a leading part in helping them reach the quarter-finals. But they then met first division sides and were not surprised to lose all their matches.

Anna and Charlotte were also invited to train with the Hungarian senior squad in Budapest.

This was at a purpose-built pool, next to the Olympic complex, on an island in the middle of the Danube. The coach was Tamas Farago, who is known as one of the greatest players in the history of water polo.

He was particularly pleased with Anna, 16, and Charlotte, 19, and gave them individual tuition which they will remember for the rest of their careers.

Anna is from Durham and is a member of the Harrogate Shortwalkers team.

Charlotte, a former student at St Francis Xavier School, Richmond, who won a Richmondshire District Council award to help pay for her training programme, has played for the first time with the Great Britain senior team this week.

The tournament involving the host country France, Ukraine and Serbia and Montenegro began yesterday and continues today and tomorrow.