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Indian boxer, Nishant Dev on Friday, May 31 became the first Indian male pugilist to secure the 2024 Paris Olympics quota. The young prospect earned his quota after he reached the semifinals of the Boxing Olympic qualifiers, underway in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 71kg weight class boxer outperformed Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari on Friday to earn himself a place after he had narrowly missed an Olympics berth in the previous qualifiers. The World Championships bronze medallist, Nishant Dev defeated Cebotari 5-0 in his quarterfinal bout, showcasing his determination and skill with accurate punches.
With Nishant earning a place on the flight to Paris, India have now secured four quotas. Earlier, women boxers succeeded with Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) earning a place. Moreover, India has five quota places in the 71kg category.
Apart from this, India’s hopes of securing a Paris Olympics quota in the women’s 60kg category ended when Ankushita Boro lost 2-3 to Sweden’s Agnes Alexiusson in the quarterfinals. Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) and Amit Panghal (51kg) are set to compete later in the day.
