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India's Ambekar Meetei scripts history with boxing gold at Dakar Youth Olympics

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei claimed the top prize following a narrow 3-2 split-decision victory over Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the final. To reach the championship bout, the Manipuri boxer dominated Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo with a 5-0 unanimous points decision in the semifinals. This run matched and then exceeded the standard established by Shiva Thapa at the 2010 Singapore Games. He presently prepares for international tournaments at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala.

Key points

  • Ambekar Meetei surpassed the mark set by Shiva Thapa at the inaugural 2010 Singapore Yout…: Ambekar Meetei surpassed the mark set by Shiva Thapa at the inaugural 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics.
  • The newly crowned champion currently conducts his athletic training at the National Insti…: The newly crowned champion currently conducts his athletic training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala.
  • The gold medal victory was achieved in the men's 50kg division at the Dakar 2026 Youth Ol…: The gold medal victory was achieved in the men's 50kg division at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

India's Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei scripted history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, striking gold in the men's 50kg boxing event after edging past Ireland's Kristian Jubani in a closely fought final.

The Indian boxer secured a 3-2 victory on the judges' scorecards to claim the top prize. In a tightly contested bout, three judges favoured Ambekar Meetei, while the remaining two awarded their verdict to his Irish opponent.

The gold medal capped an impressive campaign for the Manipuri boxer, who had earlier booked his place in the final with a commanding performance in the semifinals.

Ambekar Meetei defeated Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 to secure a unanimous points victory and move into the gold medal bout. His semifinal triumph was particularly significant as it ended India's 16-year wait for a boxer to reach the final of the Youth Olympics.

The milestone matched the achievement of Shiva Thapa, who had made it to the final at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

Ambekar Meetei went a step further by converting his final appearance into a gold…

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