Olympics 2024: Indian boxer Nishant Dev is one step away from confirming a medal in his first Olympic Games. The 23-year-old pugilist will be in action in the men's 71kg quarterfinal late night on August 3. Nishant will be up against Mexico's Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez in his last-eight clash.
Nishant, who made his way into the quarters after beating 7th-seeded Jose Gabriel in the RO16, is a bronze medallist in the light middleweight category at the 2023 World Championships. He booked his place for the Paris Olympics after defeating Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari 5-0 in the 2nd World Qualifying Tournament. He now looks to become the second male Indian pugilist after Vijender Singh to bag a medal at the Games. But who is his opponent Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez?
Nishant Dev faces a tough challenge against Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez
The Indian pugilist Nishant is facing a tough challenge now. Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez is the 2023 Pan American Games champion, having defeated Ecuador's Jose Tenorio in the final last year. He is also the gold medal winner of the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Apart from International achievements, he is also a seven-time national champion at different levels, out of which two have come at the senior level.
The Indian pugilist is looking for a medal in his debut Olympics. In fact, he wants to change the colour of the medals. No Indian pugilist has won a better medal than bronze at the Games. "My target is to change the colour of the medal in boxing. Our country's boxers have won bronze medals but not gold or silver till now. I want to convert that bronze to not silver but gold. I have the confidence that I can achieve this. I have trained well. But at the end of the day, it is up to God," Dev said ahead of the Paris Olympics
When and where to watch Nishant Dev's quarterfinal?
Nishant Dev's quarterfinal is the last scheduled QF bout in the category. His bout is scheduled to take place at 8:48 PM local time (12:18 AM IST). Users can catch the action live on Sports18 on television. They can stream the bout live on JioCinema for a digital experience.
