Nishant has engaged in various sports such as 100m and 200m races, and skating, being a national-level skater. |
His father recounted how Nishant won a skating competition despite a broken skate wheel. |
In 2010, he dislocated his shoulder from a fall down the stairs. |
He draws inspiration from Manoj Kumar, an Indian boxer who secured gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. |
His maternal uncle, who boxed professionally in Germany, also inspired him to take up the sport seriously in 2012. |
Nishant trained at Karan Stadium, Karnal, under coach Surender Chauhan, with his father ensuring early morning training sessions. |
He joined the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Karnataka in 2016. |
He represents Karnataka in national competitions. |
His performance at the 4th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship in Himachal Pradesh caught the attention of Santiago Nieva, the high-performance director for Indian male boxers, leading to an invitation to join the Indian camp. |
In his international debut in 2021, he reached the quarter-finals at the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships after defeating a nine-time Hungarian national champion and a two-time Olympic medalist. |
In the same year, he fractured his nose during a boxing match. |
During preparations for the Asian Games in 2022, he suffered shoulder pain which led him to consume multiple painkillers daily. |
An MRI revealed an infection in the dislocated shoulder, necessitating surgery on 31 March 2022 and six months of recovery. |
Nishant gradually resumed training on 25 October after his surgery and aimed to regain his pre-surgery form. |
He competed in state trials and nationals in December 2022. |
Despite injuries impacting his performance, he remained optimistic due to support from family and his confidence in his boxing skills. |
In 2023, he became the first Indian boxer to defeat a Cuban competitor at the Men's World Championships. |
On 31 May 2024, he secured a quota for the Paris Olympics after reaching the semi-finals in the Boxing Olympic qualifiers. |
Nishant is passionate about fitness and regularly works out in the gym. |