Olympic bronze medallist David Nyika has been ruled out of Birmingham 2022 due to injury, according to the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).
The 26-year-old sustained bruising of bone marrow in his left hand during professional bouts in Australia last week, leaving him unable to compete for at least six weeks.
Nyika was aiming to become the first boxer to win Commonwealth gold at three consecutive Games, but will now have to watch the competition from home.
“I’m absolutely gutted to be missing out on the Games,” said Nyika.
“I still haven’t fully got my head around it. It is always an honour competing for New Zealand and I was really looking forward to trying to clinch a third gold in Birmingham.”
Nyika won New Zealand’s first Olympic boxing medal in three decades at the Tokyo Games.
Last weekend he beat Louis Marsters by TKO in the second round on the Gold Coast, in what was supposed to be his final fight before the Commonwealth Games.
Nyika pummelled Marsters with a vicious body shot that dropped his Australian opponent to his knees and prompted the referee to end the fight, as Nyika improved his pro record to 4-0.
However, he struggled to remove his glove after the fight, with an existing issue flaring up and leaving him with his hand in a bucket of ice after the victory.
Following Nyika’s injury, boxer Emile Richardson has been added to the NZ team to contest the 75 kg category.
“There’s only one goal and that’s to win the gold medal,” said Richardson.
“I’m really looking forward to being at such a pinnacle event and competing against some of the best athletes in the world.”
Boxing at the Commonwealth Games will begin on July 29 and finish on August 7, with bouts to be held in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
