Nishant Dev is an Indian amateur boxer set to compete in the 71 kg weight category at the Paris Olympics.
After a shoulder injury hindered his performance at the 2021 World Championships in Serbia, Nishant made a notable comeback by winning a bronze medal at the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The 23-year-old boxing talent began his career in 2012, inspired by his uncle’s background in professional boxing. Initially trained by coach Surendra Chauhan at Karan Stadium, Nishant’s father played a key role in ensuring his training was on track.
In 2019, Nishant won two gold medals—one at the 2nd Khelo India Youth Games and another at the Grand Slam Asian Boxing Championship. He added another gold at the 5th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship in 2021 and secured one more gold at the 6th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship in 2023.
How did Nishant Dev qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024?
Nishant Dev’s boxing career, marked by impressive achievements and a challenging shoulder injury, led him to secure a spot at the Paris Olympics through the World Olympic Boxing Qualification tournaments.
In the first qualification tournament’s opening round, Nishant defeated Lewis Richardson from Great Britain and Eskerkhan Madiev from Georgia. He continued his success by winning against Christos Karaitis of Greece with a 5-0 unanimous decision in the pre-quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Nishant faced USA’s Omari Jones. He started aggressively, landing effective punches and maintaining a solid defense, keeping Omari on the backfoot. During the second qualification tournament, Nishant defeated Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari with a 5-0 unanimous decision, securing his place at the Paris Olympics 2024.