"First, Second Round Were Ours": Boxer Nishant Dev's Coach On Controversial Paris Olympics Defeat

Despite Nishant Dev's quarterfinal loss in the Men's 71 kg boxing bout at the Paris Olympics, his personal coach Surendra Chauhan said it was heartbreaking, but he remained optimistic, confidently declaring that they will bring home gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Nishant was eliminated by Marco Verde Alvarez after judges' decision 1-4 went in favour of the Mexican in the quarterfinals on Saturday night (local time). The bout started on a fiery note with Alvarez coming swinging out of the blocks and Nishant on the defensive for most of the opening round but strategic body blows gave Nishant the 4-1 advantage in the first round.

The Mexican came back in the second round and barely edged out Nishant to level the bout in the second round with a 2-3 decision by the judges. By the third round, Nishant looked wary of the Mexican's constant attacks and lost in the final round.

"We had planned this match exactly as we envisioned, and it felt very straightforward for us. We had beaten him before and were confident we would take the gold. The first round was completely ours. Although the judge gave equal scores for the second round, it was also ours. Nishant was a bit weak in the third round, so that round went to Mexico," Chauhan told IANS.

He further said, "we will not lodge any protest" after the bout ended in a close fight.

A win would have secured a medal for India. With Nishant's loss, Vijender Singh (2008 Beijing) remains the only Indian male boxer to win a medal at the Summer Games. "Now, it is the beginning. Nishant is still young, there is a long journey ahead and we will welcome him with gold in LA 2028," he said.

Nishant came into the quarterfinals on the back of a close-fought encounter win, where he ousted the seventh-seeded Ecuadorian boxer Jose Gabriel Tenorio Rodriguez 3-2 by unanimous decision in what is his debut at the Summer Olympics.

Reflecting on the quarterfinal loss, Chauhan, who is with Nishant since he was studying in the fourth grade, said "The fight was undoubtedly ours. Everyone who hoped for this medal is deeply heartbroken."

"We were shouting for gold because Nishant has faced all these boxers before, both in practice bouts and in competition. He has defeated everyone, including a knockout victory over a USA boxer just a month ago," he concluded.

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