Indian Boxers Shine at Dakar Youth Olympics, Securing Final Spots

The Indian contingent is making waves at the Dakar Youth Olympics, with boxers Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan reaching the finals. With a current medal count of eight, including historic wins in athletics and wrestling, India is on track for a record-breaking performance. Discover how these young athletes are shaping the future of Indian sports at this prestigious event.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 12, 2026, 09:01 IST

Indian Boxers Excel at Youth Olympics

Dakar [Senegal], November 12: The Indian team has been performing exceptionally well at the Dakar Youth Olympics, with boxers Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan advancing to the finals in their respective categories.

Lairenlakpam dominated his match against Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo, winning decisively with a score of 5-0. Meanwhile, Gunjan triumphed over Great Britain's Lily Bassett with a score of 4-1, as reported by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

India's current medal tally at the Youth Olympics stands at eight, comprising three silver and five bronze medals. With the two boxers reaching the finals, the country is poised to achieve at least ten medals in this edition.

Earlier, Shourya Ambure made history by winning a bronze medal in the women's 100 m hurdles, clocking a personal best of 13.59 seconds in a competitive field of nine at Complexe Iba Mar Diop. She is now recognized as the first Indian woman to earn a medal in athletics at the Youth Olympics, marking India's fifth podium finish in this sport at the event.

In wrestling, Taniya secured India's inaugural medal in youth wrestling, clinching a silver in the 75 kg category. She faced a tough opponent in China's Min Zhao, the reigning U17 world champion, losing the gold medal match 2-1. Taniya had previously defeated USA's Matilda Hruby 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach the final.

Additional silver medals were won by Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in women's 63 kg judo and Tanvi Patri in badminton.

Dhinidhi Desinghu earned two bronze medals in the women's 100 m and 200 m freestyle swimming events, making her the first Indian to achieve multiple medals at a single Youth Olympics. Tirthank Pegu also contributed to the medal tally with a bronze in the men's 200 m butterfly, marking India's first male swimming medal at the Youth Olympics.

Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu added to the medal count with a bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event.

India's most successful Youth Olympics campaign occurred in 2018 in Buenos Aires, where the nation secured a total of 13 medals, including three golds, nine silvers, and one bronze.