Imphal: Manipur pugilist Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei made history on Thursday by winning India’s first-ever gold medal in boxing at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, defeating Ireland’s Kristian Jubani in the men’s 50kg final at Dakar in Senegal.
Meetei secured a 3-2 split-decision victory over Jubani to claim the title, surpassing India’s previous best performance in boxing at the youth olympics. Shiva Thapa had won a silver medal in the 60kg category at the inaugural Games in 2010.
Representing the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, where he trains, Meetei progressed through the tournament with a series of victories.
He secured a place on the podium on Tuesday with a first-round stoppage of Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga in the quarterfinals. He then defeated Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo by a 5-0 unanimous decision in the semifinals to book his place in the final.
His victory over Jubani sealed the landmark gold medal for India and marked a significant achievement for the young boxer from Manipur.