Nishant Dev's Heartbreaking Olympic Quarterfinal Loss

Nishant Dev's Olympic journey concluded in a heart-wrenching split decision defeat to Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez in the men's 71kg quarterfinals. Despite a strong start, the 23-year-old world championship bronze medallist lost 1-4. Nishant's aggressive tactics were eventually outweighed by Alvarez's final-round urgency.

Nishant Dev's maiden Olympic campaign ended in heartbreak after a devastating split verdict defeat to Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez in the men's 71kg quarterfinal on Saturday.

Leading after the first round, the 23-year-old world championship bronze medallist Indian lost 1-4 to his second-seed Mexican opponent at the North Paris Arena. Nishant had previously defeated Alvarez in the 2021 World Championships.

Initially, Nishant's straight jabs and aggressive tactics gave him the upper hand. However, Alvarez managed to land critical punches, including a lethal right hook, forcing the referee to give Nishant a standing count. As the match progressed, Alvarez's urgency and smart gameplay earned the Mexican a narrow 3-2 victory.

(With inputs from agencies.)