'In my view, Nishant Dev won': former boxer Sarita Devi on boxing controversy

Indian fans and the sporting community were left shocked after Nishant Dev lost his bout in the men's 71kg category quarter-finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday.

After his controversial loss of 1-4, former Indian boxer Laishram Sarita Devi expressed her disappointment over the judges' decision.

“In my view, Nishant won the match, but the decision went in favor of the Mexican boxer. I don’t understand why the referees did not warn the Mexican boxer after so much holding,” Sarita Devi told The Bridge in an exclusive interaction.

“Sometimes, it happens in boxing, and it is very sad for the player and the nation as well. Now, what can I say? The decision has been made, and we cannot complain about it. When such a thing happens, and players complain, the players may face the consequences of it,” Sarita Devi added.

In the past, Sarita Devi has been the victim of the same biasedness from the judges. She refused to accept the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games due to biased judging towards her South Korean opponent.

Reflecting on her experience, she said, “I have spent my life in boxing, with over twenty years of experience. Still, I am not able to clearly understand the scoring and decision systems. I find it very confusing.”

Further, she added, “Judges are also human; they are not gods and can make mistakes. I was in favor of the old scoring system, where a boxer got a point if his punch touched the opponent’s face.”

“Many times, the decisions are in favor of the boxers who performed well, and sometimes unfortunate things happen. To come to the Olympics, a player does so much hard work and makes many sacrifices. Unfortunate results like this, where in my opinion Nishant was the clear winner, are very sad,” Sarita Devi emphasized.

Sarita Devi wants Nishant to stay motivated

“Nishant is a very good and talented boxer. Win and loss are part of the game. Nishant, don’t lose heart, don’t lose focus, and go for the next competition. These are part of life. You have been giving a very good performance over the last three years. When we drive, sometimes speed breakers come, and the roads may not be good, but you have to go forward. Results will come," Sarita Devi relayed her message to Nishant.

"I want him to stay focused and face the adversity. In my life, I also struggled a lot. But he needs to prepare for the next competition and the next Olympics as well," Sarita said.

When asked why boxers from Manipur don’t come to the international level as frequently as before, Sarita Devi said, “Firstly, in Manipur, most of the players come from poor backgrounds, and they have to take on home responsibilities at a very early stage. Secondly, there is very little exposure here. You know, in Manipur, the crisis is ongoing, so players cannot travel by road and have to travel by plane. For flights, a player needs to spend thousands of rupees, which is not possible for most players in the state.”

“For the young players of the Northeast, financial support is crucial. The government and SAI need to support more, which will help the young players to move forward,” Sarita Devi added.