Amit Phangal, Manju Rani lead charge at BFI Cup 2025

The BFI Cup 2025 kicked off in Chennai with top Indian boxers delivering commanding performances. Amit Phangal, Manju Rani, Ankushita Boro, and Arundhati Choudhary registered emphatic wins in their respective categories.

Hyderabad: Asian and Commonwealth Games’ gold medallist Amit Phangal (Services) eased through to the next round of the Elite Men’s competition at the BFI Cup 2025 on Thursday, following a dominant 5:0 win over Punjab’s Sparsh Kumar.

Meanwhile, the Elite Women’s section was marked by strong wins for former World Championships silver medallist Manju Rani (Railways), as well as Youth World Champions Ankushita Boro (Assam) and Arundhati Choudary (Services), as action continued at the Vellore Institute of Technology.

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In an endeavour to provide upcoming boxers a platform to showcase their skills and established stars an opportunity to test their preparations, BFI is hosting the inaugural BFI Cup 2025 in Chennai from October 1–7, featuring competitions for both Elite Men and Women across 10 weight categories each, aligned with World Boxing standards. Gold and silver medallists from the event will earn a pathway into the Elite National Camp.

In the men’s section, Amit’s victory headlined another superb outing for Services. Teammates S Vishvanath (50kg) and Preet Malik (65kg)—both part of the Asian U-22 Championships’ team in Thailand—posted commanding 5:0 wins to move ahead. Railways’ Ravi Kumar (75kg) and Tamil Nadu’s C Lucas (50kg) added to the day’s highlights, each advancing with RSC victories, highlighting the depth of the early competition.

The women’s draw saw experienced names underline their pedigree. Manju Rani displayed her class with a 5:0 verdict over Punjab’s Kashish Mehta in the 48kg category, while Arundhati (70kg) outpunched Haryana’s Manisha in a unanimous decision. Assam’s Ankushita made quick work of her bout, sealing an RSC win in the opening round against Minnat Zarine.

Boxers from State units and boards that finished in the Top 8 at the Elite Nationals are in action at the BFI Cup, joined by entries from SAI NCOE and host state Tamil Nadu. The lineup also includes participants from the last two Elite National Championships, Indian team members from the 2024 and 2025 Asian U-22 Championships, as well as medallists from international competitions since 2022.

Adding further depth to the competition are medallists from the Goa and Uttarakhand National Games and the 6th Youth Nationals. All entries are routed through official State units and boards.