Our Bureau
Dakar
Indian boxing witnessed a historic milestone at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, as Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan clinched gold medals in their respective categories on Thursday. The duo became the first Indian boxers to win gold at the Youth Olympics, marking a significant achievement for the country. While Ambekar Meetei claimed the men’s 50kg title, Gunjan made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a boxing gold medal at the competition.
Ambekar Meetei opened India’s gold medal account with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ireland’s Kristian Jubani in the men’s 50kg final. The boxer from Manipur displayed remarkable composure in a closely contested bout to secure the historic victory. After losing the opening round on all five judges’ scorecards, he fought back strongly in the remaining rounds to turn the contest in his favour.
Gunjan followed the achievement with an impressive performance in the women’s 48kg final, defeating Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah 5-0 by unanimous decision. The Haryana-based boxer dominated the contest across all three rounds, with all five judges scoring the bout in her favour.
Ambekar Meetei’s victory marked India’s first-ever boxing gold at the Youth Olympic Games, ending a 16-year wait for the country to produce a champion in the sport at the competition. Before this achievement, Shiva Thapa had secured a silver medal at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010, while Vikas Krishan had won bronze at the same edition.
Both boxers entered the finals after impressive performances in their respective categories. Ambekar Meetei defeated Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga and Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo on his way to the final, while Gunjan overcame Mexico’s Atena Sofia Juarez Calero and Great Britain’s Lily Bassett.
The double gold-medal triumph marks a landmark moment for Indian boxing and highlights the growing potential of the country’s emerging sporting talent on the international stage.