Morocco’s Youness Baalla (red) and New Zealand’s David Nyika fight during their men’s heavy (81-91kg) preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on July 27, 2021. (Photo by UESLEI MARCELINO / POOL / AFP)
Moroccan heavyweight boxer Youness Baalla attempted to bite David Nyika’s ear during his defeat to the New Zealander at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old was subsequently disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior, although he was already out of the Games anyway following his unanimous-points loss in the round-of-16 bout.
A Tokyo 2020 statement called Baalla’s actions “intolerable,” saying that he “very clearly intended to bite the ear/face of his opponent in the third round of the bout”.
Morocco’s Youness Baalla (red) and New Zealand’s David Nyika fight during their men’s heavy (81-91kg) preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on July 27, 2021. (Photo by UESLEI MARCELINO / POOL / AFP)
Footage shows Baalla trying to bite Nyika’s right ear as the two boxers hold each other.
Nyika, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist who has already fought as a professional, said: “He didn’t get a full mouthful.
“Luckily he had his mouthguard in and I was a bit sweaty.
“I was bitten on the chest at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018), but come on man, this is the Olympics.”