Manipur boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei wins India's first Youth Olympics boxing gold
The Manipuri boxer secured a 3-2 points victory against Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the men's 50kg final in Dakar.
Indian boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei won the gold medal in the men's 50kg category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Thursday. The Manipuri boxer defeated Ireland's Kristian Jubani with a 3-2 points decision in the final.
According to reports from Outlook and The Times of India, Meetei had to recover from a difficult start in the final. Jubani won the opening round as all five judges scored it in his favour, but Meetei responded in the second round by forcing a standing eight count.
Meetei secured the victory after taking the verdict from four judges in the third round. This win marks India's first boxing gold at the Youth Olympics and the country's first gold medal of the ongoing Dakar Games, following three silver and five bronze medals.
Rediff reported that Meetei reached the final after a 5-0 semifinal victory against Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo. He also defeated Senegal's Cheikh Ibrahima Fall Faye in the quarterfinals and Namibia's Abraham Kalenga in the opening round.
Meetei, who trains at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, began boxing in 2018 following a suggestion from his maternal uncle, Khadem Sukumar. He previously won a silver medal at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok earlier this year.
His gold medal follows previous Youth Olympic boxing achievements by Shiva Thapa, who won silver in 2010, and Vikas Krishan, who won bronze at the same Games.