Ambekar Meetei wins India's first Youth Olympics boxing gold
The Manipuri boxer secured a 3-2 victory against Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the men's 50kg final at the Dakar Youth Olympics.
Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei won the gold medal in the men's 50kg boxing event at the Dakar Youth Olympics, according to reports by the Times of India and India Today. The boxer from Manipur defeated Ireland's Kristian Jubani in a closely fought final to secure the victory.
The Indian boxer won the bout 3-2 on the judges' scorecards. After losing the first round to Jubani, where all five judges awarded the round to the Irish opponent, Ambekar Meetei fought back to claim the top prize.
This victory marks India's first-ever boxing gold medal at the Youth Olympics. It also provides the Indian contingent with its first gold medal at the ongoing Dakar Games, following previous silver and bronze finishes in badminton, judo, beach wrestling, swimming, the women's 100m hurdles, and Wushu.
Ambekar Meetei reached the final after a 5-0 unanimous points victory against Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo in the semifinals. His performance ended a 16-year wait for an Indian boxer to reach a Youth Olympics final.
The achievement matches the milestone of Shiva Thapa, who reached the final at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. Ambekar Meetei, who trains at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, becomes the first Indian boxer to win gold at the competition.