Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei beat Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 and Gunjan beat Britain’s Lily Bassett 4-1 to put India into two Youth Olympics boxing finals in Dakar, guaranteeing both at least silver, with the gold medals still to be decided.
Dakar, Senegal: India will play for two gold medals in the Youth Olympics boxing ring. Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei in the men’s 50kg and Gunjan in the women’s 48kg both won their semi-finals, turning the bronze medals they had guaranteed in the quarter-finals into at least silver.
Ambekar sweeps the cards
Ambekar won a unanimous 5-0 decision over Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo, the opponent he was drawn to face after his quarter-final win. All five judges scored the bout for the Indian, and he now waits for his final.
Gunjan holds off Bassett
Gunjan’s semi-final against Great Britain’s Lily Bassett was closer. She won 4-1 on the judges’ cards, and moves into the women’s 48kg final.
India’s haul stays at ten
The boxers’ results do not add to India’s medal count, which was already set at ten once both reached the semi-finals, but they raise the quality. Before the boxing, India had won eight medals in Dakar: silvers for Tanvi Patri in badminton, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in judo and Taniya in beach wrestling, and bronzes for Dhinidhi Desinghu (two, in swimming), Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu in wushu, Tirthank Pegu in swimming and Shourya Ambure in the 100m hurdles. India’s best Youth Olympics haul remains the 13 medals won in Buenos Aires in 2018, and a golden finish in the ring would give this campaign its first gold.
Semi-finals, boxing, Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: Men’s 50kg: Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei (India) beat Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo (Colombia) 5-0. Women’s 48kg: Gunjan (India) beat Lily Bassett (Great Britain) 4-1. Finals: both Indian boxers to contest gold; dates to be confirmed.
