Manipur boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei has scripted a historic milestone for Indian boxing by becoming the first Indian pugilist to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games, defeating Ireland’s Jubani Kristian 3-2 in the men’s 50kg final at Dakar 2026 on November 12.
His victory marked a landmark achievement for Indian boxing and also secured India’s first gold medal at the ongoing edition of the Games, taking the country’s overall medal tally to nine, according to a press note issued by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
India had never won a boxing gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games before Ambekar Meetei’s triumph. With his victory, India’s medal tally stood at one gold, three silver and five bronze medals, placing the country ninth in the overall standings.
The Manipur boxer had earlier demonstrated his dominance in the semi-finals, defeating Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 to qualify for the title clash.
India has another opportunity to add to its gold medal tally, with Gunjan scheduled to compete in the women’s boxing final at 10.30 pm IST on November 13. She secured her place in the final after defeating Great Britain’s Lily Bassett 4-1 in the semi-finals.
India’s medal-winning performances at Dakar have come across several disciplines, including athletics, wrestling, judo, badminton, swimming and wushu.
In athletics, Shourya Ambure won bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking a personal best of 13.59 seconds. Her achievement made her the first Indian woman to win an athletics medal at the Youth Olympic Games.
Taniya secured silver in the women’s 75kg wrestling category, earning India its first-ever youth wrestling medal at the competition. She went down 1-2 to China’s Min Zhao in the final. Zhao had won gold in the 69kg category at the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships.
India also secured silver medals through Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in women’s 63kg judo and Tanvi Patri in badminton.
Swimming contributed three medals to India’s tally, with Dhinidhi Desinghu winning bronze in both the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events. She became the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals at a single edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
Tirthank Pegu added another bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly, becoming the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games.
Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu completed India’s medal-winning campaign in wushu with a bronze in the women’s changquan combined event.
India’s best-ever performance at the Youth Olympic Games came in 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the contingent secured 13 medals, comprising three gold, nine silver and one bronze.
Ambekar Meetei’s historic gold has now added a significant chapter to India’s sporting achievements, while bringing particular recognition to Manipur’s contribution to the country’s boxing landscape. With Gunjan’s final still to come, India has an opportunity to further improve its medal tally at Dakar 2026.