Although many of the region's footie fans have retired to their armchairs for the duration of Euro 2004 there are still people out there excelling in their chosen sports and none more so than Anne Hov and Simon Cudworth.

Anne and Simon from the Chikara Dojo of Kyokushin Karate Club in Spennymoor competed recently in the British Nationals Full Contact Karate Tournament and both enjoyed medal success in various categories. The Spennymoor club regularly has team members competing at national and international level and Simon Cudworth also recently earned his black belt.

Newton Aycliffe kids are obviously a sporty lot. The town's Sports Club Under-9s and Under-10s football teams both finished winners in the Northwest-of-England Trophy. The club, which is accredited with the FA Charter Standard, has teams competing in the Teesside Alliance Junior Football League at every level from Under-6 to Under-16s.

Next big occasion in the sporting calendar is Wimbledon and budding tennis star Aiden Robson may well be heading in that direction in the future. Aidan won through the Road to Wimbledon tournament and now will take his place in the County Finals in Sunderland next month. Wouldn't it be great to have a North East lad to cheer on Centre Court one day?

Once the football and tennis is over, sports enthusiasts will turn their attention to the Olympic Games. This area has had its fair share of Olympians in the past with names like Steve Cram and Jonathan Edwards and the future seems to be in good hands as well if 13-year-old Sophie Broadway is anything to go by. The Bedale High School pupil has won ten out of ten races this season and has won through to the Yorkshire Championships in Sheffield. Despite competing against girls a couple of years older than herself Sophie's medal haul is impressive and she has set 4 personal bests so far.

Waterpolo may not be at the top of everyone's list of must play sports and I must admit to a certain ignorance of the finer points of the game but one local team is making quite a name for themselves. Sedgefield 75 are in their first season in the men's Northern League and have excelled by winning through to the cup final, defeating red-hot favourites and National League team Sheffield in the semi-final.

We're on air on 96.6TFM with Soccer Saturday all through the summer between 12pm and 2pm for all the latest football news from the Tees Valley and, of course, TFM will have news from Portugal as England continue their Euro 2004 campaign.