Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei made history at the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, after becoming India's first boxing gold medalist at the sporting event. The 17-year-old held his nerve in a tight title clash, defeating Kristian Jubani of Ireland 3-2 in the men's 50kg final on Thursday.

Ambekar's historic medal will be observed as a significant feat in the Indian boxing scene, as no youth athlete has ever won a gold medal in boxing until the 17-year-old from the North-Eastern part of India did the unthinkable.

The Indian boxer's rise to the historic Youth Olympic podium began with a family member's advice to take up the sport.

Who is L. Ambekar Meetei?

Born in Manipur, Ambekar Meetei knocked on the door of boxing after being advised to take up the sport in 2018. His maternal uncle, Khadem Sukumar, noticed his physical build and advised him to try his hand in boxing, and he followed suit.

“My uncle felt I had a strong physique and encouraged me to try boxing,” Ambekar had said before the Games.

Ambekar's decision turned out to be revolutionary. He began his studies at the National Sports Academy at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal and quickly rose through the ranks in the junior division and received a chance to train at the national camp in Patiala.

The 17-year-old has trained under coaches Vijay Kumar Sharma and Geeta Chanu Oinam, with Coach Vijay applauding his physical fitness and calling Ambekar a talented pugilist with a bright future.

“He is physically very fit. He has excellent strength and is technically very sound. He is a very talented boxer and has a bright future,” Coach Vijay said ahead of the competition. 

Gunjan adds up to India's medal tally

Following Ambekar's historic gold win, Gunjan added another medal, adding to India's best-ever tally after securing a convincing 5-0 victory over Bensalah to become the nation's first-ever woman to secure a boxing gold at the Youth Olympics.

In her quarterfinal bout, Gunjan defeated Mexico's Atena Sofia Juarez Calero by a 5-0 unanimous decision to guarantee India a medal. In the semifinal, Haryana's Gunjan beat Great Britain's Lily Bassett 4-1 in a hard-fought bout.