# Dakar Youth Olympics: Lairenlakpam and Gunjan reach boxing finals as India's fine run continues _Two Indian boxers advanced to gold-medal bouts at Dakar 2026, adding to India's tally of eight medals at the Youth Olympics._ - Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in) - Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/dakar-youth-olympics-lairenlakpam-and-gunjan-reach-boxing-finals-as-india-s - Author: Sapna Pandey, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/sapna-pandey) - Published: 2026-11-12T07:36:09.262Z - Section: Olympics - Topics: Youth Olympics, Dakar 2026, India boxing, Gunjan, Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei ## Summary Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan reached boxing finals at Dakar 2026. Lokmat Times noted India already holds eight medals at the Games. ## Key takeaways - Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei won his men's 50kg semi-final 5-0 against Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo - Gunjan won her women's 48kg semi-final 4-1 against Great Britain's Lily Bassett - Lairenlakpam will face Ireland's Kristian Jubani for gold - Gunjan will face Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah for gold - India have won eight medals so far at Dakar 2026, comprising three silver and five bronze ## Article India’s gold medal hopes continue at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after boxers Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan secured their places in the finals with convincing victories in Senegal on Wednesday. In the men’s 50kg category, Ambekar defeated Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 on points in the semi-final. He will now fight for gold against Ireland’s Kristian Jubani. Gunjan followed suit in the women’s 48kg category, defeating Great Britain’s Lily Bassett 4-1 on points to book her place in the final. She will take on Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah in the gold medal bout. Their entry into the finals guarantees India at least two more medals. ## India’s medal tally and campaign context India now have two more opportunities to add gold medals to their tally at the Dakar Games. The country have so far won eight medals at the competition, comprising three silver and five bronze. Lokmat Times reported that this achievement significantly boosts India’s medal prospects, already standing at eight, and now poised to reach double digits. The current contingent is positioned to potentially surpass India’s best Youth Olympics campaign from 2018 in Buenos Aires, where they secured 13 medals, including three gold, nine silver, and one bronze. India’s medal tally at the ongoing Games includes three silver and five bronze medals. The contingent has seen remarkable performances across various disciplines. 59 seconds. This marked India’s fifth podium finish in athletics at the Youth Olympics. Wrestler Taniya clinched India’s first-ever medal in youth wrestling, a silver in the 75 kg category, after a hard-fought final against China’s Min Zhao. Other silver medalists include Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada in women’s 63 kg judo and Tanvi Patri in badminton. Dhinidhi Desinghu shone in swimming, bagging two bronze medals in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle, becoming the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single Youth Olympics. Tirthank Pegu secured India’s first male swimming medal with a bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly. Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu also added a bronze in the women’s changquan combined wushu event. ## About Dakar 2026 and what happens next Dakar 2026 is the fourth Summer Youth Olympics and the first IOC event held in Africa. It runs from 31 October to 13 November 2026 in Dakar, Senegal. India is making its fourth consecutive appearance since the inaugural edition, with 17 players across 11 disciplines. The sources do not give dates or times for the finals. ### Related on Apex Sports News - [Youth Olympics 2026: Gunjan secures another medal for India at Dakar Games](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/youth-olympics-2026-gunjan-secures-another-medal-for-india-at-dakar-games) - [Youth Olympics: India's Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei Storms Into Final Of Men's 50kg Boxing](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/youth-olympics-india-s-lairenlakpam-ambekar-meetei-storms-into-final-of-men-s) - [Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics brings first Olympic event to Africa](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/dakar-2026-youth-olympics-brings-first-olympic-event-to-africa) ### Sources - [revsportz.in](https://revsportz.in/indias-gold-medal-hopes-continue-as-ambekar-and-gunjan-enter-boxing-finals-at-dakar-2026/) - [lokmattimes.com](https://www.lokmattimes.com/other-sports/dakar-youth-olympics-indias-boxing-stars-lairenlakpam-gunjan-punch-their-way-to-finals-amidst-medal-spree-a001-w01/) - [Photo: AberroCreative, Pixabay Content License (Pixabay)](https://pixabay.com/photos/boxing-gloves-boxing-ring-boxing-375473/) --- Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/dakar-youth-olympics-lairenlakpam-and-gunjan-reach-boxing-finals-as-india-s. Please cite and link the original article when quoting.