BFI Cup: Amit Phangal, Manju Rani cruise into next round
Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Phangal underlined his class with a commanding win on the opening day of the BFI Cup here on Thursday. The Services boxer produced a dominant 5-0 verdict over Punjab鈥檚 Sparsh Kumar to move into the next round of the elite men鈥檚 section.
Services boxers shine
Amit鈥檚 performance capped a fine day for Services. His teammates S Vishvanath (50kg) and Preet Malik (65kg), both part of India鈥檚 Asian U-22 squad in Thailand earlier this year, also registered one-sided 5-0 victories. Their consistency ensured Services made a strong statement in the early stages of the competition.
Manju Rani leads women鈥檚 charge
In the women鈥檚 section, former World Championships silver medallist Manju Rani of Railways eased into the next round with a clinical win. She was joined by youth world champions Ankushita Boro of Assam and Arundhati Choudhary of Services, both of whom outclassed their opponents with quick, aggressive boxing.
Momentum building for later rounds
With several top names making comfortable starts, the BFI Cup has already showcased the depth of Indian boxing talent across both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 categories. The early dominance of Services and Railways boxers has set the stage for high-quality contests in the coming rounds.
