"I always tell myself that I am the best" - Boxer Nishant Dev ahead of Paris Olympics 2024
Indian boxer Nishant Dev is gearing up well for his maiden Olympics campaign. Representing India in the 71kg category of boxing, he was the first male Indian pugilist to qualify for the Paris Olympics in May, 2024. An ardent believer in the Almighty, Dev believes he can bring home India's first ever gold medal in boxing at the upcoming Summer Games.
However, standing in front of him, in his category will be a few renowned boxers who have previously been world, Europe and even Olympic champions (medalists). To get past them, the 23-year-old will need to hone up his skills and take proper measures to overcome his shortcomings such as losing stamina in the third round, and maintaining proper body balance.
In a virtual media interaction, he said:
"I used to get tired during the third round. But I don't stop punching. My body gets tired because I lose weight. And since I fight daily, the muscles break down and build up again, because after losing weight there is a lot of fatigue and weakness in the body. I have also changed my strategy a bit for the third round so that my body language and body shape remains good and I don’t lose stamina."
Nishant Dev is currently training in Saarbrucken, Germany. He is part of a squad that boasts of top Indian boxers such as Lovlina Borgohain, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and Nikhat Zareen, a fierce boxer who has perhaps taken the place of Mary Kom in Indian boxing. Speaking about them, Dev said:
"Boxers like Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain are positive all the time. Others too. Everybody stay positive and say positive things and tell others to remain positive. Speaking of Lovlina, she is very spiritual and believes a lot in God. I am also like that. Whenever I see her, I get motivated."
As mentioned earlier, Nishant wants to better the record set by Lovlina Borgohain, Mary Kom and Vijender Singh, all of whom have won bronze medals in the past. His aim, however, is not to settle for a silver but to go all out for that gold medal. But to do so, he needs to maintain his diet and focus on his nutrition. The boxer shared how he is managing it:
"I am on a strict diet. No sweet and oily food. I have fruits, oats and fresh juice for breakfast. For lunch it’s usually boiled vegetables and boiled chicken. I have to take boiled vegetables so that the calories don’t go up."
But does Nishant Dev fear any competitor? Or does he believe there will be tough competition out there in Paris? With a lot of confidence in himself, he opined:
"The best boxers from every country will be there. So it won't be easy. But I always tell myself that I am the best. I have the confidence in me that I will beat them. Three world champions are there in my category, European champions and Olympics medalists are also there. I have fought them and there are some players whom I have defeated before."
Nishant Dev's pre-fight rituals?
In order to maintain their focus, athletes usually do a lot of things before entering the pitch or the ring, in Nishant Dev's case. The boxer revealed his pre-fight routine:
"Before the fight, you have to be focused. I pray to God, read Hanuman Chalisa and listen to motivational songs. When I am there in the ring, some things don't come to my mind. I have only one thing in mind, which is to defeat the opposition."