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Nyika (red): "When they don't want to win, they want to survive." Jason O'Brien
Bit of Bite

Commonwealth Games boxing champ claims he was bitten in opening fight

Elsewhere, Ballymena’s Stephen Donnelly got his Games off to a winning start in the middleweight division.

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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