A TAEKWONDO ace from Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy returned home from the Commonwealth Championship Games in India as the junior champion.

George Lee, 15, was selected to represent England at the Championship in Chennai for the four-day event at the end of January.

Team England took 18 fighters to India from junior and senior levels, with the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights pupil one of only three to collect a gold medal.

His success didn’t shock anyone at the school, or his club Fusion Taekwondo in Peckham, because Lee has been the UK number one for four consecutive years and the top ranked European since 2010.

The youngster was joined at the Commonwealth Games by two Fusion team-mates, Stephanie Allen and Joel Jackson, a fact which delighted club coach Michael Georgiou.

Lee had three fights on the first day of the Games and was the first of the Fusion trio to compete.

After barely recovering from a hamstring injury sustained at the Paris Open, Physioactive in Mottingham were looking after and monitoring Lee three times a week on their elite sports programme, making sure the teenager was fit before he left for the event.

Normally the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy student would be away with his coach from Fusion but this time he was going to have to stand on his own and listen to his team England coaches Richard Allen and Pete Adamson, while making sure he didn’t aggravate his injury.

Lee had three fights against strong opponents but still managed to win the gold medal convincingly to become the junior Commonwealth champion.

He said: “The competition was an experience and to become Commonwealth champion just spurs me on to my ultimate goal for this year, which is being selected again to represent Great Britain at the European championships in Cyprus in October.

“I’m training hard for that and preparing for my final exams at school.”

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