Services boxers reaffirmed their dominance on the national stage as the men’s competition of the inaugural BFI Cup 2025 concluded in Chennai on Tuesday, with standout performances from S. Vishwanath, Mohammad Husamuddin, Vanshaj, Sachin and Ankush leading the charge.
Asian U-22 champion S. Vishwanath (Services) opened the finals with a commanding 5–0 victory over Ashish (Haryana) in the 47–50kg category. Ashish (Services) followed with a narrow 3–2 win against Navraj (AIP) in the 50–55kg final, while World Championships bronze medallist Mohammad Husamuddin (Services) defeated Sagar Jakhar (SAI) 5–0 in the 55–60kg bout.
In the 60–65kg category, Vanshaj (Services) edged teammate Preet Malik 3–2 in a close contest. Sumit Kumar (SAI) delivered a dominant 5–0 performance against Rajat (Services) in the 65–70kg final. Continuing Services’ strong showing, Sachin (Services) secured a 5–0 victory over Neeraj (Haryana) in the 70–75kg division, and Ankush (Services) earned a similar 5–0 result over Aman (Chandigarh) in the 75–80kg final.
In the heavier divisions, Naveen Boora (Services) overcame Vinit (Railways) 3–0 in the 80–85kg category. Daksh (SAI) narrowly beat Vishal Gupta (Services) 3–2 to claim the 85–90kg title, while Sawan Gill (Chandigarh) defeated Lakshya Rathi (SAI) 3–2 in the 90–90+kg super heavyweight final.
With seven gold medals, Services topped the overall medal standings, followed by Haryana and Railways in second and third place, respectively.
Organized by the Boxing Federation of India, the BFI Cup 2025 served as a high-performance platform for India’s elite boxers to evaluate their form ahead of major international events. The week-long competition, held from Oct. 1–7 in Chennai, featured ten men’s and ten women’s weight categories aligned with World Boxing standards. Gold and silver medalists from the tournament earned spots in the Elite National Camp, strengthening India’s talent pipeline.
In the individual awards, Maharashtra’s Khushi Jadhav (54kg) was named Best Boxer among women, while Rajasthan’s Parthavi Grehwal (65kg) was recognized as Best Challenger and Tamil Nadu’s G. Resika (80+kg) as Most Promising Boxer. In the men’s section, Services’ Ashish (55kg) earned the Best Boxer title, Lakshya Rathi of SAI (90+kg) was named Best Challenger, and Tamil Nadu’s Lukas (50kg) received the Most Promising Boxer award.
The tournament featured top competitors from state units, Services, Railways, SAI NCOE and other boards, including medalists from recent National Games, Elite Nationals and international tournaments. The men’s finals marked a fitting conclusion to the inaugural BFI Cup 2025, showcasing India’s rising boxing talent and reinforcing Services’ dominance in the national circuit.
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