India Shines at Dakar Youth Olympics 2026 with Multiple Medals
India's Medal Success at Dakar Youth Olympics
Dakar [Senegal], November 11: India's impressive performance at the Dakar Youth Olympics 2026 continues as boxer Gunjan has secured a medal in the women's 48 kg category by reaching the semifinals.
On Tuesday, she triumphed over Mexico's Atena Sofia Juarez Calero with a score of 5-0, ensuring a medal for India, as reported by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
Earlier, Shourya Ambure made headlines by winning a bronze medal in the women's 100 m hurdles on Sunday, achieving a personal best of 13.59 seconds in a competitive nine-woman field at Complexe Iba Mar Diop. This victory marked her as the first Indian woman to earn a medal in athletics at the Youth Olympics, contributing to India's fifth podium finish in this sport's history at the event.
With Ambure's achievement, India's medal tally at the Youth Olympics now stands at eight, comprising three silver and five bronze medals.
In wrestling, Taniya made history by claiming India's first-ever medal in youth wrestling, securing a silver in the 75 kg category at Dakar. She faced off against China's Min Zhao, the reigning 2025 U17 world champion in the 69 kg division, in the gold medal match, narrowly losing 2-1. Taniya had previously defeated USA's Matilda Hruby 3-1 in the semifinals 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, while Tirthank Pegu secured a bronze in the men's 200 m butterfly, marking India's first male swimming medal at the Youth Olympics.
Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu also contributed 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, Argentina, where the country achieved a total of 13 medals, including three gold, nine silver, and one bronze.