How cloud over boxing's Olympic future made Nishant Dev turn pro

At 24, 71-kg boxer discards India ambition after Paris heartbreak
NEW DELHI: The constant fear of boxing losing its spot at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028, a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss at the Paris Games, coupled with the need to ensure future financial stability seem to be chief reasons which influenced World Championships medallist Nishant Dev's decision to quit the amateur circuit and turn professional.
Nishant's announcement over joining the professional circuit came as a surprise to followers of the sport in India. Just 24, and considered highly promising, the 71 kg boxer Karnal in Haryana was being touted as one of the stars in India's future Olympic, world and Asian Games plans.
Nishant has signed with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing and will be making his professional debut at 'The Cosmopolitan' in Las Vegas on Jan 25. His opponent is yet to be announced. "We (father son) had a long chat about it when he was in India," Nishant's father, Pawan Dev told TOI, "It's been a conscious decision on his part. He wanted to explore the pro circuit and had been thinking about turning pro for some two months. It's his decision and the family supports him."
According to his father, Nishant is currently in the US and had been in contact with some people who were guiding him in his new journey. "He took the final call about two weeks ago," he added.
"Look, there were multiple reasons behind it," Pawan Dev, tried to explain his son's decision, "One, of course, is the uncertainty surrounding the future of the sport at the Olympics. There's no guarantee that boxing will feature in Los Angeles '28. A lot of things are going on at the International Olympic Committee's end. The future of amateur boxing is bleak when it comes to the Olympics, so, Nishant was unsure about it as well.
"Then, the money part involved with the professional world is very good. The circuit pays you well. I agree, that may not be the only reason, but it was of certain consideration," revealed Pawan, "For Nishant and our entire family, boxing is and always will remain the priority because that's my son's first love. Playing and representing the country will always remain a huge honour."
Also, there was controversy over Nishant's quarterfinal exit to Mexico's Marco Verde at the Paris Games earlier this year. It left a bad taste in the mouth, after the judges ruled in the Mexican's favour despite the Indian being clearly on top. "India has lost not only a bronze but a gold medal. It's bad. The view of the judges was different and I was not at all happy," Nishant had then said.
"Nishant wasn't particularly convinced about the referring part in Paris," the father revealed, "He felt that he was wronged by the judges in Paris. For everyone, Nishant was a clear winner in that quarterfinal bout, but judges decided against him. He was heartbroken after the loss, and it took him several weeks to get over that shocking defeat. He felt that referring or judging in the amateur circuit is not fair. So, all these decisions influenced his mind," he added.
A light middleweight 2023 World Championship bronze winner, Nishant has said that his goal is to become India's first-ever world pro boxing champion.
BFI GIVES NOC
Boxing Federation of India sources revealed that the BFI received an email from Nishant expressing his desire to turn pro and seeking a 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) certificate from president Ajay Singh around a week ago. There wasn't any effort on the part of the federation to stop the boxer. Notably, BFI has joined the new breakaway organisation - World Boxing, among whose rules is the allowance for a boxer to continue representing his/her nation as an amateur internationally while also plying his trade professionally. However, since the BFI hasn't adopted the World Boxing's constitution in its functioning as the new global body is yet not recognised by the IOC, Nishant can only fight professionally.