Manju Rani powers into BFI Cup semis with dominant 5-0 win

Manju Rani led a strong performance by India’s top women boxers to reach the semi-finals of the BFI Cup 2025 in Chennai. The tournament features top national and international medallists, with winners securing spots in the Elite National Camp

Hyderabad: The women’s draw produced some standout results as World Championships silver medallist Manju Rani (Railways) led the charge with a commanding 5:0 win to reach the semi-finals in the BFI Cup boxing championship in Chennai on Saturday.

World Youth champion Ankushita Boro (Assam), former Youth World Champion Arundhati Choudhary (Services), U-22 silver medallist Priya (Haryana), and World Championships bronze medallist Parveen Hooda (SAI) also cruised through with dominant victories, ensuring a high-quality line-up at the semi-final stage.

---

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, World Cup Brazil bronze medallist Manish Rathore (AIP), U-22 Asian bronze medallist Rocky (AIP), and Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (Services) continued their fine form to progress further, maintaining Services’ strong momentum in the competition.

Boxers from State units and boards that finished in the top eight at the Elite Nationals are in action at the BFI Cup, joined by entries from SAI NCOE and host state Tamil Nadu. The line-up 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.