New Zealand is set to have one it’s smallest ever boxing teams at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Covid and the resulting lack of competition has left the sport struggling.
New Zealand has been allocated six spots for Birmingham but at this stage just one fighter is guaranteed to make the trip and that’s two-time defending heavyweight champion David Nyika.
Boxing has been one of New Zealand’s most successful sports at the Commonwealth Games.
Since first competing at the 1938 Games in Sydney, New Zealand has won 37 boxing medals including seven gold.
There was a team of eight fighters at the 2018 Gold Coast event and nine in Glasgow four years earlier.
Boxing chairman Keith Walker isn’t happy with the state of his sport saying “we won’t fill our numbers at Birmingham.”
Walker says the recent National Championships was particularly disappointing, both with the numbers competing and the quality of the bouts.
“Some of the women’s divisions had just two entries.”
He admits that they’ve been hit hard by Covid-19 which has severely affected the number of events they’ve been able to hold.
“The nationals were very low key and it was obvious the boxers have lacked competition.
“I can’t see the New Zealand Olympic Committee being persuaded by the form of any of the boxers at the nationals.
“We just don’t have the depth of boxers at the moment.”
New Zealand sent seven boxers to the recent Thailand Open, but there was just one win.
Tasmyn Benny
Photo: Photosport
2018 bronze medalist Tasmyn Benny was meant to travel but she was hit by Covid.
“Some members of that team would be outside contenders for the games, but they really need to show more to convince the selectors.
And competition has been a problem for the last couple of years for New Zealand boxers who have been restricted by Covid and finances.
“There is no competition in this part of the world at the moment, we’re working on trying to get some bouts with Australia but nothing has been confirmed.”
New Zealand Boxing does still have some money from High Performance Sport New Zealand but finding the right competition is proving difficult.
There is also the Golden Gloves tournament in Taupo in June, but again there are doubts over the quality of the competition.
The NZOC selection criteria says selectors must be satisfied that a boxer is capable of achieving a top six placing at the Games and must have a track record of sufficient quality and depth.
Apart from Olympic bronze medalist David Nyika there are five other borderline contenders for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, but it appears a lack of competition is going to end any hope of them competing in what Keith Walker describes as their pinnacle event.
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