Indian boxers L Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan scripted history at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, on Thursday, winning gold medals in the men’s 50kg and women’s 48kg categories, respectively.
The victories marked India’s first-ever gold medals in boxing at the Youth Olympic Games and took the country’s gold medal tally at the Dakar edition to two. Both members of the Indian boxing contingent finished on the top of the podium, maintaining a 100 per cent medal record.
“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,” Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh said.
“These are also India’s first-ever gold medals in boxing at the Youth Olympic Games,” he added.
Ambekar Meetei opened India’s gold medal account with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ireland’s Kristian Jubani in the men’s 50kg final.
Gunjan, meanwhile, dominated her women’s 48kg final against Algeria’s Bensalah Bouthaina, securing a comprehensive 5-0 unanimous decision after controlling all three rounds.
Before Thursday’s victories, Indian boxers had won two medals at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Shiva Thapa claimed silver in the men’s 54kg category, while Vikas Krishan secured bronze in the men’s 60kg event.
India had also won three gold medals at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, with two coming in shooting and one in wrestling.
With two gold, three silver and five bronze medals, India climbed from 58th to 16th position in the Dakar 2026 medal standings following the boxing triumphs.
Singh said the performances reflected the growing depth of talent in Indian boxing and the progress made in developing a strong pipeline of young athletes.
“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,” he said.
He added that the focus would be on ensuring that young champions continued to develop into world-class senior boxers.
“I congratulate Ambekar and Gunjan on creating history,” Singh said.
The twin victories add to India’s growing record in international boxing, with the country’s pugilists winning medals at major multi-sport events, including the Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as the Asian and World Championships.
(IANS inputs)
