Indian boxer Gunjan stormed into the women's 48kg final at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal on 11 November 2026, keeping India firmly in contention for two boxing gold medals on the same day. Her semifinal victory extended a dominant run that has now carried her to the summit bout of the tournament.

Gunjan's Commanding Semifinal Win

Gunjan defeated Great Britain's Lily Bassett 4-1 on points in a bout that the five judges scored 30-27, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, and 30-27 — four of the five cards going in favour of the Indian. The victory was decisive and clinical, reflecting the composure Gunjan has shown throughout the competition.

Earlier in the quarterfinals, she had blanked Mexico's Atena Sofia Juarez Calero 5-0 in the Women's 48kg category to advance to the last four and secure India at least a bronze. Gunjan had received a bye in the opening round, entering directly at the quarterfinal stage.

The Final Ahead: Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah Waits

In the gold-medal bout, Gunjan will face Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah, who reached the final with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Italy's Michela Guglielmon. The clash promises a competitive finish, with Bensalah demonstrating resilience in a close semifinal.

Meetei Already in Men's 50kg Final

Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei became the first Indian boxer to reach a boxing final at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics, having secured his spot earlier on Wednesday by defeating Colombia's Izzon Jeffrey Galea Arevalo 5-0 on points. Boxing from the red corner, Meetei dominated the bout across all three rounds, with the five judges returning identical scores of 28-27, 28-27, 28-27, 29-26, and 28-27 — a unanimous win.

Meetei will face Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the final, after Jubani whitewashed Mexico's Alan Jesus Ocampo Cano 5-0 in his semifinal. With both Indian boxers now guaranteed silver at minimum, the pressure shifts to converting those silvers into gold.

India's Overall Medal Tally at Dakar 2026

Ahead of the boxing finals, India had accumulated nine medals at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics — comprising three silver and five bronze medals, earned primarily through wrestling and swimming. The boxing finals represent India's clearest route to its first gold medals of these Games.

Notably, this is India's most promising boxing campaign at a Youth Olympics in recent memory, with two finalists on the same day marking a significant collective performance. The boxing finals will be watched closely as India seeks to close out the tournament on a high.