Rohtak, June 19 -- Around 640 up-and-coming pugilists from across the country, including 350 boys and 290 girls, will face off in the 6th Junior (U-17) Boys and Girls National Boxing Championships at the National Boxing Academy in Rohtak, Haryana, from Thursday.

Both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls competitions will feature 13 weight categories each, ranging from 44-46 kg to 80+ kg. The Services Sports Control Board will look to defend their title from the 5th Boys' Nationals, while Haryana enter as the defending champions in the Girls' category.

"The Junior National Championship is a crucial platform for young boxers to showcase their skills in front of national selectors and coaches. It plays a key role in helping BFI identify and nu...