Sanasy claims county title and Bates shows promise
HALIFAX BOXING Club gained its second Yorkshire champion in the space of a month when 16-year-old rising star Rhys Sanasy triumphed at Sheffield’s Parsons Cross College in the Clubs for Young People Championship.
The event is an open championship, where boxers can be up against opponents up to two years older with considerably more experience.
Rhys was boxing 18-year-old Hissam D Amed from the Lights Out Club in Bradford, a strong young man who had won his semi final the week before.
Halifax coach Mick Rowe said Rhys was nervous in the first round and started showboating and, despite winning the round, got a stern talking too in the corner.
The Calderdale youngster showed what he can really do in the second round, scoring some great shots and making the older boxer miss.
In the third round, Sanasy had to dig deeper but he secured the win with a unanimous decision and became the second Halifax boxer to earn a place in the regional finals next month.
Halifax’s 14-year-old Ellis Bates also keeps on improving and took another unanimous victory at the Halton Moor show on last weekend.
Bates travelled with Danny Parkinson, a former professional and now a coach for the Halifax club.
Bates was up against Finlay Reynolds from the home club, backed by a vociferous home crowd.
But the Halifax fighter has been working hard in the gym and boxed brilliantly, winning every round.
Head coach Rowe said the club’s recent successes are linked to new training facilities, part-funded by New Ground, Sport England and Calderdale Community Foundation, plus a new major sponsor, Yorkshire Timber.
Halifax is one of the fastestgrowing sports clubs in Calderdale with a great gym and numbers are rising.
The club is gearing up for its first show of the season on November 29.
Tickets are available from the club or via Mick Rowe on 07870 266002. Rowe is also looking for sponsors and coaches.