BFI Cup 2025: Amit Panghal, Vishwanath, Husamuddin in semis; Manju Rani, Ankushita, Arundhati, Priya and Parveen reach finals

Chennai, Oct 5 (IANS) Asian Games gold medalist Amit Panghal (Services) led the charge in the men’s quarterfinals with a commanding 4:1 win over teammate Usman Ansari in the BFI Cup 2025 here on Sunday. He was joined by teammate S. Vishwanath (Services), who breezed past C. Lukas (Tamil Nadu) 5:0, and World Championship bronze medallist Mohammad Husamuddin (Services), who sealed his place in the semis with a 5:0 triumph against M. Henthoi Singh (Services).

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

On the women’s side, World Championships silver medallist Manju Rani (Railways) stormed into the final after defeating Mahi Siwach (Haryana) 5:0. World Youth Champion Ankushita Boro (Assam) also sealed her place in the summit clash with a 5:0 win over Shretima Thakur (Himachal Pradesh).

Former Youth World Champion Arundhati Choudhary (Services) was equally dominant in her 5:0 victory against Deepika (SAI). Priya (Haryana) outpunched Jyoti (Delhi) 5:0, while World Championships bronze medalist Parveen Hooda (SAI) dismantled Mahi Lama (Madhya Pradesh) with a 5:0 decision to complete a stellar line-up of finalists.

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 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 medallists from the last two National Games editions in Goa and Uttarakhand, and the 6th Youth Nationals. All entries are routed through official State units and boards.

--IANS

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