Nishant Dev robbed of a medal! Indian fans demand accountability from Paris 2024, blame judges and demand transparency
Although it seemed Nishant Dev was poised to compete in the medal rounds, the announcement of a victory for the blue corner left visible disappointment on his face.
Updated : August 04, 2024 05:03 PM ISTAlthough it seemed Nishant Dev was poised to compete in the medal rounds, the announcement of a victory for the blue corner left visible disappointment on his face.
Nishant Dev
At the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, controversy erupted following Indian boxer Nishant Dev's quarter-final defeat in the men's 71 kg category. Nishant lost 4-1 to Mexico's Marco Verde, despite dominating the first two rounds, which raised concerns about the fairness of the scoring system.
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Although it seemed Nishant was poised to compete in the medal rounds, the announcement of a victory for the blue corner left visible disappointment on his face. In the aftermath, many notable figures, including Bollywood star Randeep Hooda, former Olympic champion Vijender Singh, and JSW Group scion Parth Jindal, expressed their disapproval of the outcome.
I don’t know what’s the scoring system but I think very close fight..he play so well..koi na bhai #NishantDev
— Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) August 3, 2024
Nishant had won it .. कती सूत दिया था मेक्सिकन .. what’s this scoring ? Robbed of the medal but won hearts .. Sad!! Many more to go छोरे !! #NishantDev #OlympicGames #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/idg6exkOq1
— Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) August 3, 2024
Devastated is not the word - so
— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) August 3, 2024
Proud of you Nishant - you have made the entire country proud - this is just the beginning for you and we @IIS_Vijayanagar will leave no effort to
make sure we are ready for that gold in LA. @Paris2024
That's a bloody joke!!!
— Suhail Chandhok (@suhailchandhok) August 3, 2024
Nishant Dev won that 2nd Round...
It's an absolute travesty and we are totally gutted with that result.
There has to be a better way to bring fairness to #Boxing 😤💔☹️#OlympicGames #Boxing #NishantDev #Paris2024 #Olympics
In the quarterfinal match, the 23-year-old boxer from Karnal, Haryana won the first round with much ease, however, despite dominating in the second game, he got a split vote of 3-2 as the judges gave Verde the victory. Verde won in the end because the judges reached a unanimous verdict in the third round, awarding him 10 points total.
The controversial outcome has led to widespread discussions among fans and experts about the need for a review of the scoring system in Olympic boxing. Many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) calling for increased transparency and accuracy to ensure fair results for the athletes.
THIS IS ROBBERY!! Nishant Dev was the clear winner. Boxing is so rigged, no one knows how the judges are scoring. No transparency, just unorganised & based on favouritism & luck. WWE matches make more sense than this clownery they calling boxing rn!#Boxing #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/qyra7K7qVV
— sohom (@AwaaraHoon) August 3, 2024
Nishant Dev was cheated upon in the quarter-final bout! He deserved to win. #IndiaOlympics #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/Wqgfl1uuJc
— Lloyd Mathias (@LloydMathias) August 3, 2024
This mockery of a sport with such fraudulent subjective opaque judging is a part of Olympics and Chess is not! Unbelievable. Feel for you Nishant Dev. #Boxing #Olympics
— Archit Chandak (@archit_IPS) August 3, 2024
Left Right & Centre first time everybody is United because everybody knows that Nishant Dev has won that #Boxing match but Judges robbed the medal from him due to unfair umpiring. #cheating #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/9cpxeNdEEV pic.twitter.com/sKp31Lfr2A
— Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) August 3, 2024
In contrast to other sports, boxers competing in the Olympics receive bronze medals even if they lose in the semifinals. To ensure that India won its first medal at the Paris Games without using a gun, Nishant only needed to win the quarterfinal. Before this fight, Nishant had defeated Jose Rodriguez of Ecuador via split decision, demonstrating his talent and willpower throughout his Olympic career.
Manu Bhaker also came very close to missing out on a historic third medal at the Paris Games as she finished 4th. Shooter Arjun Babuta placed fourth in the men's 10m air rifle event, while competitors Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat placed fifth in the mixed team archery event.