Devastated after a split verdict denied him a podium finish at the ongoing Olympics, Indian boxer Nishant Dev said his dream has turned into a “nightmare” following the “injustice”, which has left his heart heavy with “anger and sadness”. Dev, the 23-year-old world championship bronze-medallist, lost 1-4 to his second-seeded Mexican opponent Marco Verde Alvarez in the men’s 71kg quarterfinal despite seemingly dominating the contest on Saturday. “Nobody truly knows how hard I worked, the countless hours I dedicated to manifesting this dream, and the honesty and truthfulness I poured into my training. Every day was a step toward this goal, every sacrifice a testament to my commitment.

“And in one cruel moment, it was all taken away from me,” he shared in an Instagram post.

Dev said the loss felt so heavy that he “felt like everything was ripped from me.” “The injustice of it all left me with a heavy heart and a flood of emotions. Anger, disappointment, and sadness intertwined, creating a storm within me.

“It felt like a dream turned into a nightmare in an instant. Hearing the judges’ scores, it felt as though there was nothing left in my body. The pain was so intense that I felt I just couldn’t take it.” Dev, however, vowed to work harder and return smarter.

“I may have missed out on a medal but I have gained a renewed sense of purpose. My journey doesn’t end here; it begins anew. I will train harder, fight smarter, and come back fiercer,” he wrote.

“This is not the end of my Olympic dream — it’s a chapter that will make my eventual triumph even more meaningful.” India’s boxing campaign ended at the Olympics after Tokyo edition bronze-winner Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) bowed out following a hard-fought quarterfinal loss to China’s Li Qian in the women’s competition here on Sunday.