Meetei and Gunjan win India’s first Youth Olympics boxing golds

Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan won India’s first boxing gold medals at the Youth Olympic Games on November 12, taking the men’s 50kg and women’s 48kg finals in Dakar, Senegal. Their victories were India’s first gold medals in boxing at the Games, and Gunjan became the first Indian woman to win one in the sport there.

Meetei defeated Ireland’s Kristian Jubani by a 3-2 split decision. Three judges scored the bout for Meetei and two for Jubani. Meetei lost the opening round, in which all five judges backed his opponent, then won the judges’ verdict in each of the remaining rounds to take the title.

Gunjan beat Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah 5-0 in the final. The result made her the second Indian boxer to win a Youth Olympics gold, after Meetei, and gave India two boxing titles at the same Games. Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh described the double victory as a historic moment for Indian boxing and sport.

Both champions reached their finals through victories over opponents from several countries. Meetei defeated Colombia’s Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 in the semifinal. His earlier route also included a quarterfinal win over Namibia’s Abraham Kalenga; reports...