India clinched its first ever gold in boxing at Youth Olympic Games after Manipur boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei defeated Ireland’s Kristian Jubani. With a 3-2 score in the men’s 50kg final at the Dakar 2026 Games on Thursday,Meetei raced from the odds to secure the first spot.
The bout took place at the Dakar Expo Centre.
A gold won from behind
Meetei had to recover a close contest after losing the opening round. He then secured a split-decision victory.
India now stands at four gold medals in Youth Olympics history.
At the quarter-final Meetei defeated Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga. He then took over Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 on points in the semi-final. That made him the first Indian boxer to reach a final in the boxing competition at Dakar 2026.
His semi-final win ended a 16-year wait for an Indian boxer in a Youth Olympics final. It matched the milestone set by Shiva Thapa at the inaugural Singapore 2010 Games.