NEW DELHI: Nishant Dev, the bronze medallist at the World Championships in the 71kg category, made history by becoming the first Indian male boxer to secure a quota for the Paris Games. He achieved this feat with a commanding victory in the quarterfinals of the Boxing Olympic qualifiers held in Bangkok.
In a clash against Vasile Cebotari of Moldova, Dev demonstrated his prowess as a southpaw, securing a unanimous decision in his favor. This victory marked India's fourth quota place, following earlier successes by women boxers Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg).
Amit Panghal (51kg) and Sachin Siwach (57kg) also advanced closer to securing Paris quotas in their respective weight categories with strong performances in the qualifiers.
Dev's dominance in the tournament was evident from the outset, as he landed precise punches and maintained composure throughout the bout. Despite facing resistance from Cebotari in the second round, Dev's experience and tactical approach allowed him to control the match and secure victory.
In the evening session, Panghal defeated Kim Inkyu of South Korea in the pre-quarterfinals, positioning himself just one win away from securing an Olympics quota.
Siwach's victory over French boxer Samuel Kistohurry in the quarterfinals brought him closer to an Olympic berth, although he still needed another win to seal his place in Paris.
Unfortunately, India's hopes of securing quotas in the women's 60kg and 66kg categories, as well as the men's 92kg category, were dashed as Ankushita Boro, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sanjeet lost their respective bouts.
Boro's valiant effort against Agnes Alexiusson of Sweden in the 60kg quarterfinals fell short, despite a strong performance in the later rounds.
Choudhary suffered a defeat against Slovakia's Jessica Triebelova, while Sanjeet was unable to overcome Alfonso Dominguez of Azerbaijan, the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 world champion.
Overall, while there were notable successes for Indian boxers in securing Paris quotas, there were also disappointments as some fell short in their quest for Olympic berths in their respective weight categories.
(With PTI inputs)
