Ambekar Meetei Makes History with Gold at Youth Olympic Games

Historic Victory for Indian Boxing

In Dakar, Senegal, on November 12, Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Indian boxer to secure a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. He triumphed over Ireland's Jubani Kristian with a close score of 3-2 in the men's 50kg final.

This victory not only marked a significant milestone for Meetei but also represented India's inaugural gold medal at the current Youth Olympics, bringing the nation's total medal count to nine, as reported by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

Meetei's win is a groundbreaking achievement for Indian boxing, as the country had never previously clinched a gold medal in this sport at the Youth Olympic Games.

Currently, India stands ninth in the overall medal tally with nine medals: one gold, three silver, and five bronze. The Indian team has the potential to increase this count, with Gunjan set to compete in the women's boxing final later tonight after her semi-final victory against Great Britain's Lily Bassett, winning 4-1.

In the semi-finals, Ambekar Meetei showcased his skills by decisively defeating Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo with a score of 5-0 to secure his place in the gold medal match.

India's medal achievements in Dakar span various sports, with young athletes excelling in athletics, wrestling, judo, badminton, swimming, and wushu.

In athletics, Shourya Ambure earned a bronze medal in the women's 100m hurdles, achieving a personal best of 13.59 seconds, making her the first Indian woman to medal in athletics at the Youth Olympic Games.

Wrestler Taniya made history by winning India's first youth wrestling medal, claiming silver in the women's 75kg category after a narrow 1-2 loss to China's Min Zhao, the gold medallist from the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships.

Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada (women's 63kg judo) and Tanvi Patri (badminton) also contributed silver medals to India's tally.

In swimming, Dhinidhi Desinghu secured two bronze medals in the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events, becoming the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals in a single Youth Olympic Games edition.

Tirthank Pegu added another bronze in the men's 200m butterfly, marking him as the first Indian male swimmer to medal at the Youth Olympics.

Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu also earned bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event.

India's most successful Youth Olympic Games campaign occurred in 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the country finished with a total of 13 medals, including three gold, nine silver, and one bronze.

With Ambekar Meetei's historic win and Gunjan's upcoming final, India has a chance to enhance its medal tally at the ongoing Dakar Games.