Huge Scoring Gaffe In Paris Olympics 2024: Boxer Nishant Dev Denied Medal. What Happened?

The same old debate has landed in the Paris Olympics, and boxing judges have come under scrutiny over their dubious rulings. Just one win away from ensuring himself a medal, Indian boxer Nishant Dev couldn't believe when he saw his Mexican opponent's hand up. Dev was sure he would prevail in the close race; many analysts likewise decided the Indian would be the winner. Therefore, the judges' scores attracted interest as well as the enraged Indian supporters who waited late to see Dev join the semi-final claiming unfairness.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Was IND's Nishant Dev robbed off a medal in Paris?

What happened during Nishant Dev’s match vs Marco Verde Alvarez at the Paris Olympics 2024? 

Nishant Dev, an Indian boxer, experienced profound astonishment when his inaugural competition at the Olympics in Paris concluded with a devastating defeat in the quarterfinals of the men's 71kg division. Nishant was on the verge of attaining a medal for India, but unfortunately, the Indian team experienced disappointment when Manu Bhaker just missed out on a third shooting medal and archer Deepika Kumari was eliminated in the women's individual quarterfinals. Nishant's expedition concluded with a defeat by a split decision against Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez.

The 23-year-old athlete, who won a bronze medal at the world championship, earlier emerged victorious over Alvarez in the 2021 global Championships. In the match, the athlete exerted complete control in the first round and continued to dominate in the second round, delivering a sequence of forceful jab hooks. However, the judges surprisingly granted Alvarez the victory in the second round, giving him a lead of 3-2.

Alvarez started fiercely in the last round combining blows. Nishant seemed hungry as the fight went on even though he deftly avoided many blows. Alvarez may take advantage of slower punches to guarantee the win.

Fans on social media reacted angrily after Nishant's 1-4 loss to the second-seed Mexican in the North Paris Arena, charging the judges of unfairly depriving India a sure medal at the Paris Olympics.

Nishant is the fifth Indian boxer to be eliminated from the Paris Olympic Games. Lovlina Borgohain, the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, is now the sole Indian boxer who is still competing. On Sunday, she will participate in the quarterfinals of the women's 75kg category, where she will face off against Li Qiang, the winner of the Asian Games. Lovlina, with the goal of becoming the first Indian boxer to win two Olympic medals, had suffered two defeats against Qiang. However, she managed to overcome Qiang and secure the gold medal in the 2023 World Championships.