NEW ZEALAND’S DAVID Nyika alleged that his opponent bit him twice in an “ugly” fight as he launched his bid for a second Commonwealth Games boxing gold on Friday.
The 22-year-old heavyweight defeated Yakita Aska of Antigua and Barbuda 5-0 on Australia’s Gold Coast, but said the 91kg bout was far tougher than the scores suggested.
“It’s probably the closest fight I’ve had. A little bit rugged, but a perfect start to a long tournament,” said Nyika, who won 81kg gold at Glasgow 2014 as a teenager.
“When they don’t want to win, they want to survive, it’s tough. I copped a couple of bite marks, a couple of low blows.
“It’s a tough fight. He bit me in the end, but that’s the sport we’re in.
“Fair play to him: it’s kill or be killed.”
There was no immediate response from Aska to the allegation, but the 28-year-old said: “He is one of the best. He won gold at the last Commonwealth Games so it was a bad draw for me.
“He is a very strong kid.”
Elsewhere, Ballymena’s Stephen Donnelly got his Games off to a winning start as he booked his place in the last 16 of the 75kg middleweight division.
Donnelly, who fought for Ireland at the Rio Olympics, beat Kyran Jones of Wales 4-1.
He now faces Gibrilla Kamara of Sierra Leone on Sunday.
© – AFP, 2018; additional reporting by Niall Kelly
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