Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei Wins India’s First Youth Olympics Boxing Gold in Dakar

Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei made history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games by winning the men's 50kg boxing gold medal. The young pugilist from Manipur secured a 3-2 split decision over Ireland's Kristian Jubani in a closely contested final bout.

Turning the Tide in the Final

The gold medal match required a strong tactical comeback after a challenging start. All five judges favored Jubani in the opening round, placing the Indian contender at a temporary disadvantage. Ambekar Meetei responded by claiming the second round on three scorecards before dominating the decisive final round with support from four of the five judges to seal the victory.

Path to the Championship

Before reaching the final, the Manipuri athlete delivered a dominant 5-0 unanimous points victory over Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo in the semifinals. That milestone performance ended a 16-year wait for an Indian boxer to reach a Youth Olympics final, matching the achievement of Shiva Thapa from the inaugural 2010 Singapore Games where Thapa won silver and Vikas Krishan claimed bronze.

Historic Breakthrough for the Nation

Training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, Ambekar Meetei went a step further than his predecessors to capture the country's first boxing title at the event. His victory also delivered India's first gold medal of the Dakar campaign, adding to a delegation tally that previously included three silver medals in badminton, judo, and beach wrestling, alongside five bronze medals across swimming, women's 100m hurdles, and Wushu.