Northern Railway emerge overall champs in All India Railway Boxing, Eastern Railway are 2nd

Northern Railway won the overall championship with six gold medals, while Eastern Railway finished runners-up with five gold medals in the four-day 80th men’s and 19th women’s All India Railway Boxing Championship 2026, which concluded on Saturday at the Railway Indoor Sports Enclave (RISE), Visakhapatnam.

G Niharika of South Coast Railway was adjudged the best promising woman boxer as the pugilists put up an impressive display of sporting excellence, determination and competitive spirit.

Sandeep Mathur, general manager South Coast Railway, was the chief guest of the occasion. Divisional railway manager Lalit Bohra, principal chief personnel officer LVVS Patrudu and principal chief electrical engineer TK Sinha were the guests of honour.

Organised by the South Coast Railway Sports Association (SCoRSA), the championship witnessed the participation of 142 boxers, including 86 men and 56 women, representing 16 railway zones across the country.

The championship marked a significant milestone for South Coast Railway, as it was the first major national-level sporting event organized by SCoRSA since the formation of the new railway zone. It also provided a platform for South Coast Railway to participate as a newly formed zone and showcase its sporting talent at the national level.

Addressing the concluding ceremony, Sandeep Mathur congratulated the organisers and participants for making the championship a memorable sporting event. He highlighted the longstanding contribution of Indian Railways to the promotion of sports in the country. He noted that the Men’s All India Railway Boxing Championship, with its origins dating back to 1945, had reached its 80th edition, while the Women’s Championship, introduced in 2007, was being held for the 19th time.

Sandeep Mathur observed that championships of this stature provide an important platform for identifying emerging talent, improving competitive standards and preparing boxers for the Elite National Boxing Championships and international competitions. He commended the participants for their discipline, technical skills, determination and sportsmanship throughout the four-day event.

He also congratulated Naman Tanwar, Nikhil Dubey and Anmol for their recent participation in the World Cup, noting that Naman Tanwar and Nikhil Dubey had also represented India at the Commonwealth Games.

Appreciating the efforts of SCoRSA, Mathur acknowledged the contribution of the Boxing Federation of India officials, referees, judges, coaches, technical officials, support staff and volunteers in the successful conduct of the championship. He encouraged the participating boxers to uphold the values of discipline, perseverance, fair play and respect for their opponents, and wished them success in their future national and international competitions.

Addressing the gathering, Lalit Bohra reiterated Indian Railways’ commitment to nurturing sporting talent through employment, training facilities and institutional support. He also underscored the importance of athlete welfare and the need to improvement in the infrastructure to benefit to the sportspersons. DRM saith that the championship reaffirmed Indian Railways’ continued commitment to sports promotion and the development of talented athletes, while providing South Coast Railway with an important opportunity to establish its presence in the national sporting arena.

Later, Sandeep Mathur along with Lalit Bohra presented the trophies, medals, certificates and mementoes to the winners, runners, the executive body of Railway Sports Promotion Board, event organisers and other dignitaries of the Boxing association.

Best Boxer (Men): K Sanjeet Singh (Eastern Railway). Best Promising Boxer: Asish (Northern Railway).

Best Boxer (Women): Nakita Kumari (North Frontier Railway). Best Promising Boxer: G Niharika (South Coast Railway).