Henry’s fantastic run comes to heroic end

Henry Faizey (left) with Lee Hana who beat him in the quarters

IT was a weekend of mixed emotions for talented Leamington teenager Henry Faizey who saw his bid for National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs glory come to an end.

But the 18-year-old, part of the Fitzpatricks club, can walk away with his head held high after bowing out at the competition’s quarter-finals stage.

On the Saturday, at Acocks Green, Henry was pitted against current national champion Zakkariya Khan in the under 67kg pre quarter-finals.

Khan is a quality, classy operator, having also taken three Home Counties titles and a hat-trick of international box cup golds.

Yet he was out-worked and at times overwhelmed but the energy and pace of Faizey. Henry  mixed boxing with fighting to register a unanimous, 5-0, win.

Victory earned him a Sunday quarter-final clash with North of Ireland champ Lee Hana, a boxer with over 70 bouts to his name.

Faizey, who went into the bout with a back injury, lost out on a 3-2 split decision.

He and gym boss Derek Fitzpatrick have sportingly declined to “play” on the injury – or question the tight decision.

Derek said: “Some at ringside said they thought Henry had done enough, but we have no complaints.

“It was close, but I felt the Belfast man had scored the cleaner shots. Henry boxing the day before may have had a bearing on things, but this is a knockout boxing tournament and we lost out to a very good kid.

“We wish him well in the rest of the competition. At 18, Henry is in the top bracket for his age and experience in the country and, dare I say it, beyond. I praise him for his fantastic run in the blue ribboned tournament.”