Nishant Dev upset eighth-seeded Sarkhan Aliyev 5-0 in a 71kg first-round bout at the World boxing championships here on Wednesday.
A two-time National champion and a quarterfinalist of the previous World championships, 22-year-old Nishant gave an impactful performance against Sarkhan, a 2021 Worlds bronze medallist, to set up a round of 32 clash with Korean Sangmin Lee.
A tall southpaw, Nishant boxed from a long range and dominated by using his powerful left punches, including fine uppercuts, and accurate rights.
As Sarkhan moved in to attack, Nishant blunted his rival’s attempts with some solid shots. A low blow brought the Azerbaijani down on the canvas and fetched the Indian a warning in the second round.
Having won the first two periods 4-1 and 5-0, Nishant maintained a safe distance, moved around and counter-attacked to take the final three minutes 5-0 and emerge as the winner.
Four Indians — Asian championships medalists Govind Sahani (48kg), Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and Narender Berwal (+92kg) — would be seen in action on Thursday.
