Youth Olympics: India's Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei Storms Into Final Of Men's 50kg Boxing
The Manipuri boxer has assured India at least a silver medal at Dakar 2026.
Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei reached the men's 50kg final at the Youth Olympics in Dakar after a 5-0 semifinal win over Colombia's I.J. Galea Arevalo. He will face Ireland's Kristian Jubani for gold.
Key takeaways
- Meetei beat Colombia's I.J. Galea Arevalo 5-0 in the men's 50kg semifinal at Dakar.
- He is the first Indian boxer to reach a Youth Olympics final since Shiva Thapa in 2010.
- A medal is assured, meaning at least silver for India.
- He will face Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the gold medal bout.
- Meetei trains at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala.
Indian boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei has reached the men's 50kg final at the Youth Olympics in Dakar. Sportstar reported that he won the semifinal 5-0 against Colombia's I.J. Galea Arevalo. The victory assures India of at least a silver medal.
Path to the final
Meetei defeated Senegal's Cheikh Ibrahima Fall Faye in the round of 16. He then beat Namibia's Abraham Kelanga in the quarterfinals via a Referee-Stops-Bout decision, with the referee stopping the contest in the opening round after the Indian boxer registered three standing counts. He secured the semifinal win in a unanimous verdict.
Historic achievement
Meetei, who hails from Manipur, became the first Indian boxer to reach a Youth Olympics final since Shiva Thapa in 2010, ending a 16-year wait. Revsportz noted that before these victories, Shiva Thapa's silver in men's 54kg and Vikas Krishan Yadav's bronze in men's 60kg in 2010 were India's only boxing medals in Youth Olympics history. Ambekar has also assured India's first boxing medal at the ongoing edition.
Indian boxing context
Revsportz reported that Ambekar and Gunjan assured two more medals for the country after registering victories in their respective quarter-final bouts in Dakar.
Gunjan defeated Mexico's Juarez 5-0 via a unanimous decision in the women's 48kg quarter-final and will take on Britain's Lily Bassett in the semi-finals, becoming the first Indian female boxer to secure a Youth Olympics medal.
The two were the only boxers among India's 17-member contingent at the Games and both have assured podiums.
India's Youth Olympics tally
With two more medals assured, India's tally reached 10. The campaign has already become India's second-best Youth Olympics performance, behind the 13 medals won at Buenos Aires 2018 and ahead of the eight-medal haul at Singapore in 2010.
What happens next
Meetei will now face Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the gold medal bout. Sportstar reported this matchup. No date, venue or start time was provided in the sources.
About the Youth Olympics
The Youth Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years old, organised by the International Olympic Committee and held every four years. Dakar 2026 is the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics and will run from 31 October to 13 November 2026, becoming the first IOC event held in Africa.
India's Youth Olympics medal hauls by edition
Edition | Medals |
|---|---|
Buenos Aires 2018 | 13 |
Dakar 2026 | 10 |
Singapore 2010 | 8 |
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