Heavyweight boxer David Nyika has become the first New Zealand male to qualify for the Olympics in 16 years after winning his quarter-final bout at the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Jordan.
The 24-year-old beat Syria's Alaa Aldin Ghousoon by a unanimous points which was enough to qualify for the men's 91kg class at the Tokyo Games later this year.
The two times Commonwealth Games Gold medallist was determined to wear the fern at the Olympics after controversial judging decisions saw him miss out on Rio four years ago.
He is New Zealand's first male boxer to qualify for the Olympics since Soulan Pownceby finished 17th at the 2004 Games in Athens.
Nyika will next face Uzbekistan's Sanjar Tursunov for a place in the final.
The Olympic qualifying tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Wuhan, China last month, but due to the coronavirus outbreak it was relocated.
