Nyika bitten in Olympic debut

New Zealand heavyweight boxer David Nyika has easily won his opening fight at the Tokyo Games, with a unanimous points decision victory over Morocco’s Youness Baalla.

Nyika outclassed his opponent who tried to bite him at one stage during the final round, which shocked Nyika.

“It didn’t think he would get away with it. He tried to bite my cheek bone but luckily it was a little bit slippery. He probably got a mouthful of sweat – he also had his mouthguard in so no broken skin,” Nyika told Sky Sport.

Nyika said Baalla has been on the boxing scene for a while and is usually “a calm and composed guy,” but had a word with him immediately after the fight.

“I said ‘it’s okay’ but he wasn’t happy… but yeah that was foul play.”

Nyika said despite carrying the flag in the opening ceremony as a late replacement for Hamish Bond he didn’t feel he was a genuine Olympian until having competed.

“It’s one down three to go..really stoked to get through that one. It was always going to be a bit niggly – I haven’t been in the ring for nearly a year now.

“The performance was what it needed to be.”

Nyika’s quarterfinal bout is on Friday.