Indian boxer Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei scripted history at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics on Thursday, becoming the country’s first-ever boxing gold medallist at the competition.

The Manipur-born pugilist defeated Ireland’s Kristian Jubani 3-2 in a closely fought men’s 50kg final, securing India’s first gold medal at the ongoing Games.

Meetei staged an impressive comeback after a difficult start to the final. All five judges initially favoured Jubani in the opening round. However, the Indian boxer fought back in the second round, winning the nod from three judges before stepping up his performance in the final round. Four of the five judges favoured Meetei in the deciding round, sealing his 3-2 victory.

His triumph ended India’s wait for gold at the Dakar Games. Before his victory, the Indian contingent had secured three silver and five bronze medals across disciplines, including wrestling and swimming.

Meetei’s route to the final was equally impressive. He defeated Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga through a Referee Stops Contest (RSC) decision at 1:57 in the opening round. He then registered a 5-0 victory over Senegal’s Faye Cheikh Ibrahima Fall in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, he outclassed Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo by another unanimous 5-0 decision to enter the title bout.

Meetei’s achievement marks a significant milestone in India’s Youth Olympics boxing history. Shiv Thapa had won silver in the men’s 54kg category at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Vikas Krishan claimed bronze in the men’s 60kg event at the same Games.

Meetei has now gone a step further by becoming the first Indian boxer to win gold at the Youth Olympics.