Nishant Dev Eliminated From Olympics 2024 Following Quarter-Final Defeat in Men’s 71kg Boxing

Olympics newcomer Nishant Dev (71kg) exits the Paris Games following a devastating loss to Mexico’s Marco Verde Alvarez in the Men’s 71kg quarterfinal here on Saturday. The 23-year-old World Boxing Championships bronze medalist Indian lost by a 1-4 split decision to his second-seeded Mexican rival in the quarterfinal at the North Paris Arena. Nishant started strongly, with four judges scoring him higher after the initial round. However, Nishant failed to maintain the momentum, notably starting to tire from the second round onwards, as Verde managed to connect more punches.

After the second round, both fighters were tied for four judges, while Nishant still maintained an advantage with one judge. Nevertheless, all five judges awarded the point to Verde in the third round, confirming the outcome.

Nishant is the fifth Indian boxer to depart from the Paris Olympics 2024. He would’ve been only the second male Indian boxer to secure an Olympic medal if he had won the match.

Nishant’s path to Paris

Dev entered the world of boxing at the age of 12, inspired by his uncle who was a professional boxer. However, just two years earlier, a fall from a staircase had dislocated his right shoulder. The full impact of the injury would be felt by Nishant in 2022, as a rod was inserted into his infected shoulder.

Through surgery and rehabilitation, Nishant faced numerous uncertainties and doubts about his career. But refusing to give up, Dev bounced back to claim gold in the National Boxing Championships in Hisar the following year.

Nishant’s resilient attitude was evident in the Olympics qualifiers as well. After missing out in his initial attempt, Nishant rebounded to secure a quota on his second try.