NYIKA David

Olympic qualifying results
He secured a spot for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo by winning his quarterfinal in the heavyweight category at the Asia and Oceania Qualification Tournament in Amman, Jordan. He went on to take silver in the tournament. (olympic.org.nz, 10 Mar 2020; rnz.co.nz, 09 Mar 2020)

General
CONSIDERING GOING PROFESSIONAL
He is considering turning professional after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "If I'm going to turn pro, it's going to be because I've become the best amateur boxer I can be and I'm ready to sell out. I'm going to try to do everything for my nation before I go and sell myself as a brand. As an amateur boxer, you have the opportunity to build yourself before you jump in the lion's den. Depending on how good you are, there will be people who want to throw money at you and throw you into the cage. I have enough freedom to take my boxing as far as I can. I'm not a materialistic person, I don't need a lot of money. It feels like the end of the line for me. Whatever happens at the Olympics will decide where my future takes me." (stuff.co.nz, 14 Feb 2020; nzherald.co.nz, 03 Jan 2016)

STRONGER FOR TOKYO
In the four years between failing to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and securing a spot at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, he split with Rick Ellis, his coach of seven years, and put on 10 kilograms to move up a weight division. He also lost his grandfather in March 2020. "It's been a rollercoaster, both physically and mentally. I had my granddad pass away. That threw me around a little bit. It's tested my character. I feel like I've got the psychological attributes I need to be one of the best in boxing. It takes so much more than being a tough guy. I've allowed it to build me up rather than drag me down. I know that I've earned the right to be at an Olympic Games because of the hard work and everything I've gone through. To get over the line is reassuring. It makes me feel like the hard work pays off." (nzherald.co.nz, 09 Mar 2020)

CAR PARK TRAINING
After he split with long-time coach Rick Ellis in 2017, he was without a gym and at one point was training in car parks in Hamilton, New Zealand. "It was a little bit difficult. I didn't want to tread on anyone's toes by jumping ship straight away and finding another coach and another gym. I knew I was doing the right thing, I knew how to train myself. But every second of those sessions I knew I was at a disadvantage to other boxers training with coaches. It felt stupid. I knew I looked silly throwing punches around at 22:00 and excusing myself from social gatherings to go for a run or find a random car park to train in. It totally looked odd but I've done what I've had to do in order to get myself to where I am." (stuff.co.nz, 15 Apr 2018; stuff.co.nz, 27 Dec 2017)

BOXING AMBASSADOR
In 2019 he was elected to the Boxing Task Force [BTF], which was set up by the International Olympic Committee [IOC] for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. As an athlete ambassador he represents Olympic boxers, feeding back their views to the group in the build-up to the Games. "I owe a lot to boxing and I'm really passionate about the sport so this is the perfect chance to give back and create some positive change. I feel like our voices have gone unheard in the past, so to have a platform to provide feedback is a real positive. Change is exactly what boxing has been needing for a while. Now that we have a voice it's going to be great to make the sport more focused on the athletes who make boxing what it is." (voxy.xo.nz, 08 Nov 2019; olympic.org, 30 Oct 2019)

He became the first New Zealand boxer to win two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games by claiming victory in the heavyweight category at the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. He had also won gold in the light heavyweight category at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (SportsDeskOnline, 17 Apr 2020; olympic.org.nz, 15 Apr 2018)