Dakar, Nov 12 (IANS) Indian boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei created history at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics on Thursday by becoming the country’s first-ever gold medallist in boxing at the competition.
The Manipur-born boxer achieved the milestone after defeating Ireland’s Kristian Jubani 3-2 in a closely contested men’s 50kg final, giving India its first gold medal in the ongoing Games.
Meetei had to overcome a challenging start to the title clash before producing a strong comeback to secure the top position on the podium. All five judges initially favoured Jubani in the opening round, putting the Indian boxer under pressure.
However, Meetei responded well in the second round, with three judges awarding him the round as he fought his way back into contention. The Indian then raised his performance in the final round, earning the verdict from four of the five judges to seal a 3-2 victory and the historic gold.
The triumph also ended India’s wait for a gold medal at the Dakar edition, with the country’s athletes having previously secured three silver and five bronze medals across different disciplines, including wrestling and swimming.
Meetei’s journey to the final was equally impressive. He began his campaign with a commanding victory over Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga, winning through a Referee Stops Contest (RSC) decision at 1:57 in the opening round.
He then continued his dominant run in the quarterfinals, registering a comprehensive 5-0 points victory against Senegal’s Faye Cheikh Ibrahima Fall.
The Indian maintained his momentum in the semifinal, where he outclassed Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo by another unanimous 5-0 decision to book his place in the gold medal bout.
Meetei’s achievement adds a new chapter to India’s Youth Olympics boxing history. Shiv Thapa had earlier won a silver medal in the men’s 54kg category at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Vikas Krishan secured bronze in the men’s 60kg event at the same Games.
Meetei has now gone a step further, becoming the first Indian boxer to stand on top of the podium at the Youth Olympics.
–IANS
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