‘It is in hands of returning officer’: BFI president Ajay Singh on federation elections

GREATER NOIDA (Uttar Pradesh): Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh spoke on the federation elections, saying that it is completely in the hands of the returning officer. This comes amid reports that the federation’s elections, initially set for Friday, March 28, have been postponed.

Speaking about the elections in the federation, Ajay said, “It was my duty to appoint the returning officer. I have appointed him. The elections are in his hands. Whenever he holds the elections, we will participate in the elections”.

On the Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship, Ajay hailed the participants, saying that they have all shown that India is a “super-power”, especially in the field of women’s boxing. “There were a lot of international-level bouts in this championships. I feel very proud of the kind and standards of the bouts that took place”, he added.

Speaking about big boxers playing in nationals, Ajay said, “Nationals are the biggest competitions of the country and everyone should play in it. Some of our players were injured and could not compete. But those who played did their absolute best. And some youngsters, we saw such good talent. They all fought really well. Our talent is rising, and it is good for our country.”

Coming to the championships, Railways stamped their authority on the 8th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship, defending their title in emphatic fashion with nine medals in total, as all five of their finalists clinched gold at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex on Thursday. Haryana finished second with six medals, including two golds and a string of silver medals, while All India Police (AIP) came in third with seven medals, including one gold.

Throughout this week-long tournament, which adhered to the World Boxing Technical & Competition Rules, 188 boxers from 24 state units competed across ten weight categories. Overall, Railways secured five golds and four bronzes. The second-placers, Haryana, achieved two golds, three silvers, and one bronze. Meanwhile, the All India Police accumulated one gold, four silvers, and two bronzes.

Furthermore, Ajay Singh announced an Rs 50,000 cash prize for the championship’s top performers, with Jaismine Lamboria of Services Sports Promotion Board winning Best Boxer and Simranjit Kaur of Punjab named Best Challenger. Laxmi was awarded Best Referee, while Rekha Swami took home Best Judge.

Muskan, the golden girl of the 8th Elite Women’s National Championship, she clinched the top of the podium spot in the 70-75kg category with an RSC R1 victory over Anjali from Punjab! #EliteWomensNationalChampionship #Boxing pic.twitter.com/bX8jSQnTY5

— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) March 28, 2025

Leading Railways’ charge, Anamika and Nupur successfully defended their national crowns. Anamika, the reigning light flyweight champion, defeated Haryana’s Tamanna with a unanimous vote, while heavyweight queen Nupur similarly overpowered All India Police’s Kiran to claim back-to-back titles. Sonia Lather, last year’s 57kg gold medallist, proved her versatility by moving up to 60kg and sealing victory with a 4:1 split decision over AIP’s Sanju. Sanamacha Chanu continued her dominant run with a 5:2 win over Haryana’s Saneh, while Muskan ended Punjab’s Anjali’s hopes with a first-round stoppage.

Services delivered a flawless campaign, with Jaismine Lamboria and Sakshi ensuring a 100 percent win record for their unit. Jaismine, unstoppable all tournament, delivered another commanding performance, outclassing Haryana’s Priya 5:0 to take the featherweight crown. Sakshi made quick work of Abha Singh, securing an RSC R1 win to wrap up a perfect campaign for Services.

Haryana’s Pooja Rani, last year’s 75kg champion, stepped up to 80kg and denied AIP’s Lalfakmawi Ralte a gold medal for the second consecutive time. Neeraj Phogat added to Haryana’s tally with a gritty 4:3 win over Simranjit Kaur in the 60-65kg division. Minakshi ensured a gold for All India Police after she opened the day with a successful title defence, which concluded in a 5:0 win over Sikkim’s Yasika Rai.

Joining the occasion, Olympian and World Championship Bronze Medallist Nishant Dev extended his support, inspiring the young boxers as they prepared to make their mark on the national stage. (ANI)