Olympics 2024 Boxing: Nishant Dev loses in quarters, medal hopes dashed

World Championship medalist boxer Nishant Dev lost in the quarter-final of the men's 71kg category and exited the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday.

Facing Mexican boxer Marco Verde in the bout, Nishant lost 1-4 by split decision despite winning the first round. His loss means India will return empty-handed from Paris in men's boxing with Amit Panghal losing in the first round.

Nishant started well in the first round and despite getting a standing count he won the first round 4-1. He used his jabs and combinations coupled with a few brilliant hooks to take the upper hand in the bout.

However, the Mexican made a comeback in the second round and started trading more punches with Nishant. The judges scored the second round 3-2 in favour of the Mexican boxer.

However, in the third round, both boxers looked tired and started to clinch more than fighting or landing punches. Nishant was a little tentative and that is where the Mexican boxer got a couple of more punches.

The judges scored the final round 5-0 in the favour of the Mexican to the surprise of Nishant and other Indian fans watching the bout.

While the bout was very close, the final-round result seemed unfair given both boxers were playing similarly in the same style.

With Nishant knocked out, India's only medal hope relies on Tokyo Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain who will be fighting in her quarter-final bout today.