David Pina’s journey in boxing is nothing short of inspiring. The Cape Verdean pugilist faced immense challenges, contemplating retirement due to financial burdens and family responsibilities. However, his unwavering determination led him to become the first boxer to represent Cape Verde twice at the Olympic Games.
Pina’s debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics came through a wildcard slot, but he secured his spot for the 2024 Olympics by winning all four of his fights at the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand. Despite a tough baptism of fire against defending champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan, Pina had an epiphany. He realized that the playing field was level—everyone had two arms, two legs, and one head. With this newfound perspective, he knew they could achieve greatness with better training conditions.
Moving from Santa Cruz, Cape Verde, to Portugal, Pina trained under coach Bruno de Carvalho at the Privilegio Boxing Club in Lisbon. Carvalho transformed him from a “rough diamond” into a polished star, refining his technical skills. Pina’s profile rose further when he won bronze at the African Amateur Boxing Championships in Maputo, Mozambique, in September 2022.
Despite facing financial struggles, Pina persevered. Juggling intense training and physically demanding construction work, he refused to give up. Even after being knocked down in his second bout at the global qualification tournament in Italy in March 2024, De Carvalho reminded him of his true worth: “You are a diamond; you can never give up. People just need to know your value.” Pina’s resilience and determination continue to inspire others in the boxing world.
David Pina’s journey is truly remarkable. From contemplating retirement due to financial struggles and family responsibilities, he persevered and became the first boxer to represent Cape Verde twice at the Olympic Games.
Pina said he had to work hard against ‘physical monster’ Mahdi Parvizi to win the fight by unanimous decision and earn his Olympic quota.
“I had to win four hard fights. Hard fights! If you lose one, it is goodbye there is no other chance,” he said.
“Nobody believed that I would beat th Ukrainian, and he was the hardest opponent. I had a lot of troubles, but it was an amazing tournament, I will never forget this tournament.”
Earning the Olympic quota outright was a crowning achievement in Pina’s career as he successfully navigated past some of the best fighters in the world. His achievement in Thailand was a far cry from how he fell into the sport.
Pina described himself as a ‘coward’ growing up in Santa Cruz where he was bullied by some of the bigger kids in his neighbourhood.
But as luck would have it, Pina was convinced by one of his rivals to join the local boxing gym which also happened to be the same his father used to frequent.
The coach there instilled in the then 15-year-old Pina a passion for the Olympic Games with the youngster hanging on his every word as he told stories about the global showpiece.
“Thanks to him he taught me how to dream to become an Olympian. Always after training he would sit us down as kids and tell us stories about the Olympic Games and how good it is to be an Olympian,” Pina recalled.
“Thanks to him, I started to dream of being an Olympian, and after these moments I never stopped dreaming. After this qualification, I called him and told him that thanks to him I am now an Olympian for the second time, and this time around I got it by my own hands. So, thanks to him!”
With the foundation firmly laid by his former coach and De Carvalho, Pina believes he can continue to break new ground for Cape Verde. The archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of the African continent has never won a medal at the Olympic Games since its first appearance at the global showpiece in Atlanta in 1996.
Asked if he could realistically break the spell. Pina responded emphatically: “I believe I can! My performances in Thailand showed the world that we are a candidate for the medals. Things can change until Paris, everybody will train and get better. We might not get it, it is normal, but I have shown in Thailand I just needed a chance.”