Indian boxers celebrate Diwali in Italy

The Indian boxing team which is on a 52-day exposure trip away in Assissi, Italy celebrated Diwali alongside coaches and support staff.

The 27-member contingent, which has been training in a bio-secure environment since last month, celebrated the festival in a traditional way and also had Indian cuisine.

"Everybody loves to be with family during festival time but Indian team is also our family and we had a lot of fun today. We had Indian food cooked for us like poori, kheer and everything which ensured we didn't miss our homes," said the World Championship silver-medallist Amit Panghal.

Asian Games bronze medallist Pooja Rani said, "It was a wonderful celebration especially during these tough times of Covid-19. Everyone enjoyed the celebration and as we have been training here in a bio-secure environment, things like these make us positive and happy. The focus will now again be on training as we want to make the most of this opportunity."