New Delhi, Jul 24 (IANS): For Nishant Dev, who was the first Indian male boxer to qualify for the Paris Olympics, fighting for gold is the ultimate battle at the quadrennial extravaganza, says his father Pawan Dev. The 23-year-old Nishant is a World Championships bronze medallist from the 2023 edition of the event held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he recorded a famous 5-0 unanimous win over Cuba’s Jorge Cuellar in the quarterfinals.
Pawan Dev told IANS that Nishant is fully ready to show his strength in the Olympics. He will compete in the 71kg weight category, and his first match is scheduled for July 28. This time Nishant's main goal is to bring a gold medal for the country.
"Nishant's sole aim is to win gold at the Olympics. Even now, when I speak with him, he insists that he is fighting only for the gold medal. He is now prepared to fulfill his dream. It has been the dream of our entire family for Nishant to compete in the Olympics and win a medal," said Pawan. "I dedicated all my time to Nishant, spending 3-4 hours in the morning and another 3-4 hours in the evening for his training. Our entire focus was on his sports career. With the hard work we have invested, we have reached this level. We are extremely proud of Nishant," he added.
Nishant's mother, Priyanka, a former athlete herself, expressed her desire for her son to win gold. "The entire family is enthusiastic about his achievements in the sport," she said.
Priyanka shared that Nishant always excelled in school games. She also mentioned that she used to practice at the same stadium where Nishant learned the intricacies of boxing.
"During his childhood, Nishant also practiced skating at home. He encountered a boxing kit for the first time at his maternal uncle Karambir Singh's house," revealed Nishant's mother.
Meanwhile, Nishant's grandparents said, "We are very happy and hopeful that Nishant will bring home the gold. He has the blessings of the entire family. My son Pawan has worked very hard to support him".
Nishant's grandfather, Krishna Dev said, "Before leaving for Paris, Nishant promised that he would definitely bring back the gold."