India Achieves Historic Boxing Success at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

Historic Golden Double for India at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

Dakar [Senegal], November 13: Indian boxer Gunjan made history by clinching the gold medal in the women's 48kg category at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. She triumphed over Algeria's Bensalah Bouthaina with a decisive 5-0 victory in the final on Thursday. This remarkable achievement marks Gunjan as the first Indian woman to secure a boxing gold at the Youth Olympic Games, contributing to a historic golden double for Indian boxing, as both Indian competitors emerged victorious.

Earlier in the day, Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei also made headlines by becoming the first Indian boxer to win gold at the Youth Olympics, defeating Ireland's Jubani Kristian 3-2 in the men's 50kg final. With both athletes winning their finals, India achieved a perfect success rate in boxing at this edition, with both participants returning home with gold medals, as reported by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

Gunjan's victory has elevated India's overall medal tally at Dakar 2026 to 10, which includes two gold, three silver, and five bronze medals. Previously, India's best performance at the Youth Olympic Games was in 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the team secured 13 medals, including three gold, nine silver, and one bronze. The current campaign in Dakar has showcased several impressive performances across various sports. In athletics, Shourya Ambure earned a bronze in the women's 100m hurdles with a personal best of 13.59 seconds, making her the first Indian woman to win an athletics medal at the Youth Olympic Games. Wrestler Taniya also made history by securing India's first-ever youth wrestling medal, claiming silver in the women's 75kg category after a close 1-2 loss to China's Min Zhao in the final. Additionally, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in women's 63kg judo and Tanvi Patri in badminton both won silver medals. Swimming added three medals to India's tally, with Dhinidhi Desinghu winning bronze in both the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events, becoming the first Indian athlete to achieve multiple medals in a single edition of the Youth Olympic Games. Tirthank Pegu contributed another bronze in the men's 200m butterfly, marking him as the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at this event. Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu also secured bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event. The two boxing gold medals have significantly bolstered India's campaign in Dakar, bringing the total medal count to 10 as the young athletes strive for their best-ever performance at the Youth Olympic Games.