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Nishant Dev’s confidence speaks for itself and while he remains a strong contender for gold, the youngster’s road to the 2024 Paris Olympics has not been easy. read more
 "Fearless boxer Nishant Dev gunning for gold in maiden appearance at games")
Boxer Nishant Dev is confident of winning an Olympic medal in Paris. PTI image
Determination is the buzzword for Indian boxer Nishant Dev heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 23-year-old from Haryana is one of only two male boxers from India who will compete for a medal in Paris once the Games get underway in a week’s time. The other boxer is Amit Panghal, who is an experienced campaigner in the boxing ring but does not have an Olympic medal to show for it.
Having said that, India have won three Olympic medals in boxing, and all three of them have been bronze. In Beijing 2008, Vijender Singh became the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal (bronze). MC Mary Kom, India’s most-respected women’s boxer, also won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, whereas Lovlina Borgohain was the last Indian boxer to clinch an Olympic medal, winning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
Paris Olympics Complete Coverage: Click here for news, schedule, explainers and more
Nishant Dev, however, is determined to change the colour of that medal, and he’s not aiming for the silver, he is gunning for gold. “My target is to change the colour of the medal in boxing. Our country’s boxers have won bronze medals but not gold or silver till now,” Nishant told reporters during a recent virtual media interaction organised by JSW Sports. “I want to convert that bronze to not silver but gold.”
Surely, Nishant’s confidence speaks for itself and while he remains a strong contender for gold, the youngster’s road to Paris has not been easy. He had the opportunity to clinch an Olympic boxing quota at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, but a loss to Japan’s Sewon Okazawa in the men’s 71 kg quarter-final meant his wait to secure qualification for the Olympics went on further.
Road to Paris, Boxing | Who has qualified and how did they make it? Can India win a medal?
In March this year, he had yet another chance at securing a quota during the first World Boxing Qualification tournament in Italy but fell short again following a split decision defeat to American Omari Jones in the 71 kg quarter-finals. Had he reached the semi-finals, Nishant would have all but secured a quota.
His moment would finally come a couple of months later.
In May, the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist defeated Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari 5-0 in the 71 kg quarter-finals of the Boxing Olympic Qualifiers in Bangkok, finally ending the wait after months of hard work.
Nishant, who is training in Saarbrucken in Germany ahead of the Games, knows winning gold at the Olympics will be a daunting task, but he is unfazed. The legendary Floyd Mayweather has become an inspiration for the Karnal-born athlete ahead of the Games.
“The best boxers from every country will be there. So it won’t be easy. But I always tell myself that I am the best. I have the confidence in me that I will beat them. Three world champions are there in my category, European champions and Olympics medallists are also there. I have fought them and there are some players whom I have defeated before,” said Nishant with full confidence.
“I draw inspiration from Mayweather’s journey— his undefeated spirit gives me belief that I can achieve greatness in boxing,” he added.
In 2021, Dev made quite an impression at the World Championships, reaching the quarter-finals, and what followed was an impressive journey in boxing as he went on to win bronze at the Worlds two years later. “That was my first international medal, so that’s a significant achievement for me,” stated Nishant.
One of his biggest wins in that tournament was a 5-0 win against Cuba’s Jorge Cuellar in the quarter-final which has set his mind free. “When I beat the Cuban, the fear of losing just went away from my mind. I thought that if you give your 100 per cent, you can beat any boxer. There is no pressure anymore. For me, it’s just about facing another opponent,” Nishant signed off.
An avid sports follower, I have been working with Firstpost for the last four years. If not for sports, movies and music are my other interests. see more
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English (US) ·