Indian Boxer Nishant Dev Admits To Going Pro As Preparation For 2028 Olympics Medal Hunt
BFI President Ajay Singh has also kept the door open for Dev -- who also aspires to fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt -- to return to the national team.
Indian pugilist Nishant Dev believes that his stint in the physically-demanding professional circuit will help him develop endurance, which will be key when he takes another shot at fulfilling his Olympic dream at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Dev turned professional earlier this year, owing to his close loss in the Paris Games quarterfinals and the state of flux surrounding boxing’s Olympic future.
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In amateur boxing, a bout lasts a maximum of nine minutes with three rounds of three minutes each whereas in Pro boxing, the bouts can stretch to even 12 rounds.
“One of the biggest reasons to go professional was that my endurance and stamina was low. To improve that, I joined professional boxing, so that I am used to playing more rounds in pro and when I come back to amateur boxing, I can handle three rounds," Dev said on the final day of the women’s National Championships here.
The 2023 World Championship light middle- weight (71kg) bronze medallist, Dev, has been one of India’s most consistent boxers in recent years.
He has signed a three-year contract with Matchroom Boxing, which will conclude a year before the LA Olympics, where he hopes to stand atop the podium.
“Nearer to the Olympics my contract ends. So I will come back to India and play the qualifiers," Dev said now that boxing has returned to the Olympic roster.
BFI President Ajay Singh has also kept the door open for Dev’s return to the national team.
“We will choose the best boxers for the Olympics amateur or pro. Nishant is certainly one of the best that we have in this country," Singh said.
Dev also aspires to fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt like legends Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
“I want to create a legacy. There is no world champion in professional boxing from India. But I want to play for the belt after I become the Olympic champion and I want to fight for the belt in India. Bring professional boxing to the country."
The Haryana Boxer is still grappling with the frustration of two controversial split-decision losses — against USA’s Omari Jones at the first World Olympic Qualifiers in Italy and Marco Verde in the Paris Games quarterfinals.
“People say that you won the first round and lost the third round (to Verde). But I watched the video 100,000 times and I didn’t feel like I lost. Even in the last round, he clinched 10-12 times. The referee didn’t see that, turned a blind eye. There was partiality."
The 24-year-old hopes the new world governing body — World Boxing will address the sport’s scoring system.
“I spoke to the World Boxing president in Thailand. He had seen my fight against Omari and he thought there was partiality. He said that he will improve as much as possible. There will be zero partiality with boxers.
“It is very difficult to digest when a winning boxer loses. It’s worse than a normal loss. Hopefully something will happen."
Dev made a spectacular professional debut, demolishing USA’s Alton Wiggins. His next fight is expected between April and June.
Currently based in the USA, Dev is training under coach Ronald Simms, sparring with American and European fighters. His three-month training experience has been transformative.
“There is a big change in mentality. The mentality of US and European boxers is very superior to Indian boxers. There are a lot of changes in training as well. Since there are more rounds compared to amateur, you have to put more effort.
“There is no time limit. You can train whenever. If you feel that you are lacking something in the middle of the night then the boxers with superior mentality wake up in the middle of the night and go for training," he added.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)- Location :
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