Elation has turned to heartbreak for a junior school tennis team disqualified from the London Youth Games for fielding a player who is too good.

Nine-year-old Iman Khan was part of the Oakdale Junior School team from South Woodford which blitzed local rivals Churchfields and Bancroft’s to win the right to represent Redbridge at July’s games in Crystal Palace.

But following the event on Wednesday, Oakdale headmistress Linda Snow was told that Iman should never have been allowed to compete because she has a junior ranking which, under Lawn Tennis Association rules, disqualifies her from playing in the competition.

Mrs Snow said: “We had an email from Bancroft’s congratulating us on the win but saying that Iman Khan would not be able to go to the games because she was too highly ranked.

“I was a bit surprised, but Iman was fine with that.

“Then suddenly we received another email from the Schools Games organisers at Redbridge telling us that the children would be allowed to keep their medals but had been disqualified from going to the Youth Games in July.”

“We are very upset about it. We haven’t even told the children yet. They stood up in assembly this morning to receive their medals and were so proud."

Mrs Snow says that the team had originally been put together to enter a hockey tournament which was cancelled, and so entered the tennis event instead.

School Games organiser for Redbridge Ally Tansley said: “Children who play tennis regularly for clubs at that age will earn a red or an orange rating.

“If they have a rating they are not eligible to compete. This is a tournament to give children a taste of tennis. Not those who already play competitively at club level.

“It’s really sad that this has happened, but rules are rules and all schools were made aware of them beforehand.”

Churchfields and Bancroft’s will now play off against each other for the honour of representing Redbridge this summer.

Mrs Snow said: “It was known from the minute Iman arrived who she was, yet she was still allowed to compete.

“I cannot understand the logic of penalising a child for being good at her sport.

“The government is always telling us about the benefits of competitive sport and that we need to encourage it.

“And yet here we are being disqualified for being too good.

“We can’t get our heads around it to be honest.”