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Duken Tutakitoa-Williams

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Duken Tutakitoa-Williams
Niue's first ever medal from the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022
Personal information
Full nameDuken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams
Nickname(s)The Kid, HBK
NationalityNiue, New Zealand
Born17 August 1998[1]
New Zealand
Height178
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
Sport
Country Niue
SportBoxing
ClubMickey B Boxing Grey Lynn, Balmoral Lee Gar
TeamNiue
Coached byLolo Heimuli
Medal record
Men's Boxing
Representing  Niue
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Men's heavyweight
Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Honiara Men's cruiserweight

Duken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams (born 17 August 1998) is a Niuean boxer and the first Niue athlete competing in the Commonwealth Games history to win Niue Island's first ever medal.

Williams is from the village of Liku, Niue.[2]

In April 2022, he won the New Zealand national cruiserweight title.[3]

In June 2022, he was selected for Niue's team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[4][5] At the games he defeated the Cook Islands' Michael Schuster to secure a place in the heavyweight semi-final.[6] The victory guaranteed him at least the bronze, making him Niue's first Commonwealth games medalist.[7]

In October 2023, he was announced for the Niue squad in the 2023 Pacific Games.[8] Later that month, his house was raided by police and his assets were frozen. Due to his sponsors pulling out, he was forced to fundraiser money to pay for his own plane ticket to the games in Honiara.[9] Williams won the gold medal in the 81–86 kg division after defeating Gabriel Dalphin in the final.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Duken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams". Birmingham2022.com. Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Limited. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Niue Boxing Team for the Birmingham Games set and ready to go". TV Niue. April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  3. ^ "McMath upsets Benny at Boxing NZ national championships". NZ Sportswire. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. ^ Magaoa, Sarah (20 June 2022). "NISCGA President confirms Team Niue to the Birmingham Games". Television Niue. BCN. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022. The team is made up of a total of 29 members; 15 athletes and 14 officials.
  5. ^ "Niue aims to punch above its weight at Commonwealth Games". RNZ. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Niue and Samoan boxers to fight off for place in Games final". RNZ. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Boxer bags first Commonwealth Games medal for tiny island nation of Niue". Express and Star. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  8. ^ Tora, Iliesa (30 October 2023). "Heavyweight boxer Duken Tutakitoa-Williams to lead Niue's Pacific Games medal bid". RNZ. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  9. ^ Satakala, Mere (10 December 2023). "Boxer Duken Williams Reveals Challenges leading up to Pacific Games". TV Niue. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  10. ^ Tora, Iliesa (6 December 2023). "Niue's boxing star Duken Tutakitoa-Williams a 'source of motivation' for his island". RNZ. Retrieved 11 December 2023.


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