Manipur boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei wins India's first Youth Olympics boxing gold
Meetei defeated Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the men's 50kg final at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Manipur pugilist Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei won India's first-ever gold medal in boxing at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Thursday. According to ANI and The Tribune, Meetei defeated Ireland's Kristian Jubani with a 3-2 split-decision victory in the men's 50kg final in Dakar, Senegal.
The victory also provided India with its first gold medal at the current edition of the Games. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) stated that India's total medal tally has now reached nine, consisting of one gold, three silver and five bronze medals.
Meetei, who trains at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, reached the final after a 5-0 unanimous decision win against Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo in the semifinals. He previously secured a place on the podium on Tuesday by defeating Namibia's Abraham Kalenga in the quarterfinals.
India currently holds ninth place in the overall standings. Other recent medalists include wrestler Taniya, who won silver in the women's 75kg category, and athlete Shourya Ambure, who secured bronze in the women's 100m hurdles.
The Indian contingent may add to its tally on Thursday, as boxer Gunjan is scheduled to compete in the women's boxing final at 10:30 pm IST after defeating Great Britain's Lily Bassett 4-1 in the semifinals.