Manipur’s Ambekar Lairenlakpam Meetei Creates History, Wins India’s First Youth Olympic Boxing Gold
Nov. 13, 2026 (Imphal): Ambekar Lairenlakpam Meetei of Manipur scripted history by winning India’s first-ever boxing gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal. Alongside Haryana’s Gunjan, he became one of India’s first boxing gold medallists at the prestigious international sporting event.
The 17-year-old boxer from Manipur defeated Ireland’s Kristian Jubani 3-2 in a closely contested men’s 50kg final at the Dakar Expo Center on Thursday. Meanwhile, Gunjan clinched the women’s 48kg gold medal after registering a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah.
Ambekar staged an impressive comeback after losing the opening round on all five judges’ scorecards. He recovered in the second and third rounds, securing the victory through a split decision and bringing home the historic gold medal for India.
Speaking to Olympics.com, Ambekar said that the opening round was the most challenging moment of the contest. He credited his coaches for encouraging him to maintain pressure and fight back in the remaining rounds.
Ambekar began his campaign with a 5-0 victory over Senegal’s Cheikh Ibrahima Fall Faye in the round of 16. He subsequently defeated Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga through a referee-stopped contest in the quarter-finals before overcoming Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 in the semi-finals.
The young boxer had earlier secured a silver medal in the men’s 50kg category at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, this year.
Having started boxing in 2018, Ambekar received his initial training at the National Sports Academy in Imphal before joining the national boxing camp in Patiala.
Meanwhile, Gunjan delivered a dominant performance in her final, winning all three rounds with 10-9 scores from each of the five judges. She defeated Mexico’s Atena Sofia Juarez Calero in the quarter-finals and Great Britain’s Lily Bassett 4-1 in the semi-finals to reach the final.
With these two historic victories, India concluded its Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games campaign with a total of 10 medals, comprising two gold, three silver and five bronze medals across various sporting disciplines.
Notably, before the Dakar 2026 edition, India had secured two boxing medals at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, with Shiva Thapa winning silver and Vikas Krishan claiming bronze.
The closing ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games 2026 is scheduled to take place on Friday.
Ambekar Lairenlakpam Meetei’s historic achievement has brought immense pride to Manipur and Indian sports, highlighting the state’s continued contribution to the country’s sporting achievements.
