The New Zealand Olympic Committee confirmation of the David Nyika participation at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, brings the current record to 29 Kiwi boxers, who have fought in Olympic competition in nearly a century.

David Nyika's entrance into Olympic competition has been long and windy road, with David having to go into head to head against a myriad of world class boxers, through the Asia-Oceania qualifying route. 

For many decades the way for Kiwi Olympic boxing participation, was a nomination by the New Zealand Boxing Association to the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which was either endorsed or rejected. The subjective nature of the nomination process, saw a number of the best boxers of their time such as Wally Coe, Brian Kendall, Bill Byrne, Bill Kini and Jimmy Peau, denied the opportunity to box in Olympic competition.

In 1996,  Oceania qualifying tournaments were introduced with the main barrier standing in the way of New Zealand success, before a much better resourced Australian boxing program. The 2016 Olympic qualifying, ratcheted up several levels, with the introduction of the Asia/Oceania qualifying tournament. 

Olympic Games participation is the ultimate achievement for amateur boxers worldwide and only the best from the five continents, get the opportunity to enter the Olympic ring. Most New Zealand boxing fans are well aware of the trifecta of Olympic medals brought home by Ted Morgan (Gold 1928) Kevin Barry (Silver 1984) and David Tua (Bronze 1992). 

This narrative will look at some of the other New Zealand boxers who have worn the black uniform of their country in the Olympic ring.

The first New Zealand Olympic boxing representative was Charley Purdy who fought at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He was adjudged to have been outpointed by local French idol Marcel Thorley, although many at ringside were convinced that Purdy had prevailed. Purdy showed his true class with gold medal success at the Tail Teann Games in Ireland, after the Olympiad, where he was awarded boxer of the tournament. 

Another to be considered unlucky was Clarrie Gordon at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. In a magnificent fight with the Finn, Karlson, the Kiwi representative lost by a solitary point.

Hawkes Bay pugilist Paddy Donovan became the only New Zealand boxer to fight in two Olympic Games. Donovan fought at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, losing to a Japanese opponent on points, before being selected eight years later for the first Tokyo Olympics in 1964. In a rare coincidence, both Donovan and Brian Maunsell’s fate was decided by the doctor, with round two cuts to the ear and eye respectively.

It was nearly fifty years since Ted Morgan’s glorious victory, before another kiwi pugilist proceeded to the second round at the Olympic Games. Wellington welter David Jackson, was selected for the 1976 Games in Montreal along with fellow Wellingtonian Robert Colley in the lightwelter class. 

Jackson drew Fredji Chtiqui from Tunisia and dispatched his opponent, with the bout being stopped in the second round. The second bout for the Wellington fighter was the Russian, Valery Rachkov, who beat the New Zealander on a 5 nil points decision.

Twenty years was to pass before another New Zealander overcame their first round opponent. Garth da Silva was the lone New Zealand boxer to attend the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, USA. Accompanied by Manager Coach Chris Kenny, da Silva made a spectacular start to his Olympic campaign, when he knocked out the Irishman, Cathal O’Grady, the reigning European junior champion in the second round. 

Such was the power of the kiwi boxers punches, damage was done to da Silva’s hand, which he carried into the next round. Pain killing injections were used, to allow him to box Serguei Dychkov from Belarus. After a valiant battle, Garth lost his second round contest on a narrow points decision.

Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut at the 2012 London Olympics, where New Zealand was represented by Flyweight Siona Femandes and Lightweight Alexis Pritchard. 

The Auckland based Lightweight became the first Kiwi women’s boxer progress past the first round of competition, after she defeated Jouini from Bulgaria 15-10 in preliminary action before bowing out to Ochigava from Russia 4-22 in the quarterfinals. 

NEW ZEALAND BOXERS RESULTS AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

1924 – PARIS, FRANCE

Featherweight:  Charlie Purdy (Auckland)

Lost – Marcel Thorley (France) Points

1928 – AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

Welterweight: Ted Morgan (Wellington)     GOLD

Defeated  – Johansson (Sweden)  KO-R2

Defeated  – Clataud (France) Points

Defeated  – Canovan (Italy) Points

Defeated  – Landini (Argentina) Points

Light Heavyweight: Alf Cleverley (Wellington)

Lost – Jackson (England) Points

1932 – LOS ANGELES, USA

Featherweight: Bobby Purdie (Auckland)

Lost – Bianchini (Italy)

Lightweight: Harold Thomas (Wellington)

Lost – Fabbroni (Italy)

Welterweight: Bert Lowe (Otago)

Lost – Bernlohr (Germany)

1936 – BERLIN, GERMANY

Featherweight: Clarrie Gordon (Patea)

Lost – Karlsson (Finland) Points

Lightweight: Norm Fisher (Canterbury)

Lost – Oliver (Argentina) Points

Welterweight: Tommy Abuthnott (Wellington)

Lost – Rodriquez (Argentina) Points

1948 – LONDON, ENGLAND

Featherweight: Bob Goslin (Wellington)

Lost – Eddie Johnson (USA) RSC-R3

Note:  Bob Goslin travelled alone with no manager or coach.

1952 – Helsinki, Finland - No New Zealand boxers nominated by the NZBA

1956 – MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Coach: Dal Griffin (Otago)

Lightweight: Paddy Donovan (Hawkes Bay)

Lost – Toshito Ishimaru (Japan) Points

Welterweight: Graham Finlay (Greymouth)

Lost – Kevin Hogarth (Australia) Points

1960 – Rome, Italy - No New Zealand boxers selected

1964 – TOKYO, JAPAN

Manager: Syd Ashton (Timaru)

Lightweight: Paddy Donovan (Hawkes Bay)

Lost – H Pace (Argentina) RSC - R2/cut ear

Light Welterweight:  Brian Maunsell (Canterbury)

Lost – E Frolov (Russia) RSC- R2/cut eye

1968 – Mexico City, Mexico - No New Zealand boxers selected

 1972 – MUNICH, GERMANY

Manager: D Tipping

Featherweight: Pat Ryan (Taranaki)

Lost – Kazuo Kobayashi (Japan) Points 4-1

Welterweight: Jeff Rackley (Nelson)

Lost – Guenter Meier (West Germany) Points 5-0

1976 – MONTREAL, CANADA

Coach: Alan Scaife (Wellington)

Light Welterweight: Robert Colley (Wellington)

Lost – Valery Limasov (Russia) RSC-R3

Welterweight:   David Jackson (Wellington)

Defeated – Fredji Chtiqui (Tunisia) RSC-R2

Lost – Valery Rachkov (Russia) Points 5-0

1980 – Moscow, Soviet Union – New Zealand joined the boycott and didn’t send any boxers

1984 – LOS ANGELES, USA

Coach: Kevin Barry Snr (Canterbury)

Light Heavyweight: Kevin Barry Jnr (Canterbury)     SILVER

Defeated – Don Smith (Trinidad/Tobago) Points 5-0

Defeated – Jonathan Kirisa (Uganda) Points 3-2

Defeated – Jean-Paul Nanga (Cameroon) Points 4-1

Defeated – Evander Holyfield (USA) Disq-R2

Lost – Anton Josipovic (Yugoslavia) Walkover

Heavyweight: Michael Kenny (Wellington)

Lost – Dodovix Owiny (Uganda) KO 2

1988 – Seoul, Korea - No New Zealand boxers selected

1992 – BARCELONA, SPAIN

Coach: Dr John McKay (Auckland)

Light Welterweight: Trevor Shailer (Manawatu)

Lost – Laszlo Szucs (Hungary) Points 0-7

Light Middleweight: Sililo Figota (Auckland)

Lost – Markus Beyer (Germany) Points 2-16

Heavyweight: David Tua (Auckland)     BRONZE

Defeated – Jose Ortega (Spain) RSC-R2

Defeated – Vojtech Ruckschloss (Czech Rep) RSC-R 2

Lost – David Izonritei (Nigeria) 7-12

1996 – ALANTA, USA

Coach: Chris Kenny (Wellington)

(It should be noted that Chris Kenny was asked to corner Paea Wolfgram who lived in New Zealand but represented Tonga.  Paea progressed to win a silver medal in the Super Heavyweight division).

Heavyweight: Garth da Silva

Defeated – C O’Grady (Ireland) KO 2

Lost – S Dychkov (Belarus) Points

2000 – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Coach: Dr John McKay (Auckland)

Super Heavyweight: Angus Shelford

Lost Oleksiy Mazikin (Ukraine) Points

2004 – ATHENS, GREECE

Coach: Phil Shatford (Christchurch)

Light Heavyweight: Soulan Pownceby

Lost – Tarhan (Turkey) RSC

2008 – BEIJING, CHINA - No New Zealand boxers qualified

2012 – LONDON, ENGLAND          

Coach: Cameron Todd

Women’s Flyweight: Siona Femandes

Lost – Petrova (Bulgaria) 11-23

Women’s Lightweight: Alexis Pritchard

Defeated – Jouini (Bulgaria) 22-4

Lost – Ochigava (Russia) 10-15

2016 – RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - No New Zealand boxers qualified

2020 – TOKYO, JAPAN        

Heavyweight – David Nyika qualified at Asia/Oceania Qualification Tournament 

Article added: Saturday 20 March 2021