Double Gold for India at Youth Olympics!

India celebrated a memorable double-gold triumph in boxing at the Dakar Youth Olympics after a relatively slow start to its medal campaign. Until Wednesday, India had won eight medals, including five bronze, with hopes of securing gold beginning to fade as the competition approached its conclusion. However, Indian boxers Ambecker and Gunjan turned the tide with two spectacular victories on Thursday. In the men's 50kg final, Ambecker defeated Ireland's Christian Zubani 3-2 in a closely contested bout. The final remained intense until the last moment, with both boxers fighting hard for victory. The judges eventually favoured the Indian pugilist, awarding him the gold medal. Ambecker's triumph was particularly significant as India had never previously won a boxing gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games.

In the women's 48kg final, 17-year-old Haryana boxer Gunjan delivered a dominant performance, defeating Algeria's Bouthaina Bensala 5-0 to secure another gold medal for India. Displaying remarkable aggression and confidence from the opening round, she gave her opponent very few opportunities to fight back. With this historic victory, Gunjan became the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. Earlier, Shiva Thapa had reached the boxing final at the 2010 Youth Olympics but settled for silver, while Vikas Krishan had won bronze. The two gold medals significantly improved India's position in the overall medal standings. India climbed to 16th place with 10 medals, comprising two gold, three silver and five bronze. China continued to lead the table with 32 medals, including 17 gold, eight silver and seven bronze.