BFI Cup 2025: Amit Phangal, Manju Rani ease through to next round with dominant wins

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 2 (ANI): Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Amit Phangal (Services) eased through to the next round of the Elite Men competition at the BFI Cup 2025 on Thursday, following a dominant 5:0 win over Punjab Sparsh Kumar.

Meanwhile, the Elite Women section was marked by strong wins for former World Championships silver medalist 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, according to a press release from BFI.

In an endeavour to provide upcoming boxers a platform to showcase their skills and established stars an opportunity to test their preparations, BFI will host 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 section, Amit victory headlined another superb outing for Services. Teammates S Vishvanath (50kg) and Preet Malik (65kg)--both a 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 C Lucas (50kg) added to the day highlights, each advancing with RSC victories, highlighting the depth of the early competition.

The women draw saw experienced names underline their pedigree. Manju Rani displayed her class with a 5:0 verdict over Punjab Kashish Mehta in the 48kg category, while Arundhati (70kg) outpunched Haryana Manisha in a unanimous decision. Assam 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 medalists from international competitions since 2022.

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

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.