For a boxer, a shoulder injury, in all probability, can end his career. Or make him half the player he was. It's not just career-threatening, it can be career-ending.
Nishant Dev endured one such injury in 2010. The boxer from Karnal, Haryana had dislocated his right shoulder after a fall from the stairs. A rod was put in his shoulder then. In the beginning of 2022, the old injury came back to haunt him. The rod in his shoulder had infected the entire arm. An immediate surgery was required. Any delay would have resulted in the arm getting amputated.
Nishant underwent a complex surgery in March 2022, and was in rehab for most of the year.
"Initially, I had lots of doubts and insecurities regarding my comeback. But I kept fighting. Gradually, I worked on my strength, power and conditioning. It wasn't easy, but I managed to pull through," Nishant said in an interaction with TOI.
Earlier this year, in January, the 22-year-old won the title at the Nationals in Hisar, signalling a dynamic return to the ring.
On Wednesday, Nishant produced a power-packed performance at the IBA Men's World Boxing Championships 2023 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan an d advanced to the pre-quarterfinals.
Facing 2021 World Championships bronze medallist Sarkhan Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the opening round of the 71kg weight category, Nishant outboxed his opponent 5-0 in a display of superior technique and agility. Nishant attacked from a distance, landing a swift combination of punches to start the bout on the front foot.
He then defended strongly in the next two rounds, giving the Azerbaijani boxer no chance to execute his attacks. The southpaw, in the end, proved to be too quick for Aliyev.
