Paris Olympics 2024 | "Seeing 30 points awarded for blocking instead of punching is tough to accept": Kishen Narsi

Kishen Narsi. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Furore over judging in the boxing competition at the Paris Olympic Games erupted once again, in the wake of two bouts featuring Indian boxers. Nishant Dev lost on points in the men's 71 kg quarter-final, despite attacking intent till the finish against Marco Verde Alvarez.

The Indian fighter shook his head to express refusal to accept the scoring by five judges in the Mexican's favour 4-1 by points split decision. India's Lovlina Borgohain fought till the end in women's 75kg quarter-final bout against Li Quan (China), the verdict went in the latter's favour by points split
41-decision.

Olympic boxing medallist at Beijing 2008, Vijender Singh, among others raised doubts over the verdicts, also felt confused by the logic in scoring over three rounds by the match officials.

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Nishant Dev and Lovlina Borgohain

Every bout lasts three rounds of three minutes each and as per regulations in force at Paris, 10 points are awarded to the winner of each round by five judges, nine points and below for the other boxer. Did Nishant not show ability, technique and courage enough to earn a victory and move into the semi-final for a crack at the medal?

Reacting to the query, Kishen Narsi, Technical Delegate at World Boxing Championships and former ring official, said: "Having watched both these and the Nikhat Zareen bout, I wondered how the judges can give points when punches don't go through with all the holding and shoving allowed? There is little continuity and all the referee inside the ring is doing is stop, start, stop."

He added: "Seeing 30 points awarded for blocking instead of punching is tough to accept." The Mumbai-based official pointed to a stand-off between the International Boxing Federation and International Olympic Committee affecting technical expertise in the sport at Paris Narsi, who officiated bouts as referee-judge back-to-back from 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona and was an International Technical Official Jury member at Beijing 2008, explained: "Nikhat [Zareen] is unseeded, after being a two-time World champion? The boxers given top seeding, by a logic which is a mystery for me, suffered first round defeats. The scoring by judges at Paris was rusty, to put it mildly. When so much shoving, holding is allowed by those appointed to oversee bouts, instead of continuity in what the fighters do in the ring, boxing's perception as a combat sport will be affected. More punching, less holding would have made the points scored reflect the action inside."

Qualifying for the semi-finals is the minimum to come in medal contention. Nishant and Lovlina were the only two Indians to reach the quarter-finals, the former putting on a spirited show on Olympic debut, the latter a bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020 in a lower weight category, fighting in Paris in a higher weight class.