The Commonwealth Games boxing champion David Nyika says the worst thing about his Gold Coast Games gold medal being stolen is that it happened in his home town of Hamilton.
The medal was taken from his car a couple of weeks ago but Nyika only realised when he went looking for it for a school visit.
David Nyika with his gold medal after winning the Men's Heavy 91kg boxing final on the Gold Coast. Photo: Copyright
It's Nyika's second Commonwealth Games gold having also won a gold in Glasgow four years ago.
Nyika says he's pretty sure the thieves knew who they were stealing from.
"Pretty shocked and pretty peeved off, I initially thought I'd just misplaced it, but I'd left it in my car just so I can take it around to family, friends and schools and that's particularly disappointing as that's (visiting schools) one of my favourite things about coming home from the Comm Games is sharing it with my community, so it's really sad to have it taken away from me in my own community."
"I'm hoping there's someone out there that realises how much hard work has gone into it and realises that there's no (monetary) value in it and the only things that makes it special is that it's mine and that you can't really do anything with it."
Nyika was about to visit a school where one of the pupils had dressed up as him.
"His school mates had all dressed up for mufti-day as super heroes and he told his mum that he wanted to dress like me and I got in touch with his mum and organised to make the visit when I realised it had disappeared."
"I've got plenty of hope that the police are doing everything they can and they've already got names of suspects so hopefully someone hands it in no-questions-asked."
-RNZ
