Youth Olympics 2026: Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan secure India’s first boxing golds in Dakar
L Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan won gold medals for India in boxing at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal on Thursday, taking the men's 50kg and women's 48kg titles respectively. Their victories represent India’s first-ever boxing gold medals at the Youth Olympics.
The two-boxer Indian contingent left Dakar with a perfect record in their sport, and the medals were India’s first two golds at the Dakar 2026 edition. Prior Youth Olympics podium finishes for India included Shiva Thapa’s silver in the men’s 54kg and Vikas Krishan’s bronze in the men’s 60kg at Singapore 2010, while India claimed three gold medals at the 2018 Youth Olympics (two in shooting and one in wrestling).
Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei opened India’s gold medal account in Dakar with a hard fought 3:2 win over Jubani Kristian of Ireland in the men’s 50kg final. The victory came by split decision and made Meetei India’s first-ever boxing gold medallist at the Youth Olympic Games. The result provided the initial boost to India’s campaign on the day.
Gunjan dominated all three rounds of the women’s 48kg final to earn a unanimous 5:0 decision against Bensalah Bouthaina of Algeria. That win made her the first Indian woman to claim a boxing gold at the Youth Olympic Games. Her performance completed a two-for-two gold return for the Indian boxing pair in Dakar.
Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh commented on the achievement, saying, "This is a historic moment for Indian boxing and Indian sport. Winning two gold medals at the Youth Olympic Games, with India also opening its gold medal account at the Dakar 2026 edition, makes this achievement even more special." He added, "These are also India’s first-ever gold medals in boxing at the Youth Olympic Games." Singh also said: "What is particularly encouraging is the depth of talent emerging in Indian boxing. We are seeing our boxers deliver across age groups and competitions, from the World Junior Championships and Youth Olympic Games to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. This reflects the progress being made in building a strong talent pipeline, and our focus will be to ensure that these young champions continue to develop into world-class senior boxers. I congratulate Ambekar and Gunjan on creating history."
India’s medal tally at Dakar now stands at 10 — two gold, three silver and five bronze — and the country has moved from 58th to 16th on the Games’ medal table following the two boxing golds.