Megha Sheokand assured of medal at World Boxing U-19 C'ships 2026
Synopsis
India has two medals locked in at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Megha Sheokand's 5-0 win over Turkey's Melisa Eroglu makes her the second Indian in the women's 80kg semis, joining Asian U-19 champion Prachi Tokas, who is also through and faces Russia's Samira Itonieva next.
Key Takeaways
Megha Sheokand defeated Turkey's Melisa Eroglu 5-0 to reach the women's 80kg semifinals at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro .
Asian U-19 champion Prachi Tokas was the first Indian to secure a medal; she beat Canada's Alie Chartier by RSC and will face Russia's Samira Itonieva in the semifinals.
Harshika and Lakshu are one win away from a medal after winning their pre-quarterfinals in the women's 65kg and 70kg categories respectively.
Aman Dev reached the men's 50kg quarterfinals with a 5-0 win over Serbia's Pavle Popovic; Mausam Suhag advanced to the round of 16 in men's 65kg .
Himanshi , Anshika , and Dhruv were eliminated in their respective categories.
Megha Sheokand became the second Indian boxer to be assured of a medal at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro, on Friday, 23 October, defeating Turkey's Melisa Eroglu by a unanimous 5-0 verdict to advance to the women's 80kg semifinals.
Prachi Tokas Leads the Charge
Prachi Tokas, the Asian U-19 champion, had earlier become the first Indian to secure a medal at these championships. On Thursday, she outplayed Samoa's Kealey Perez — who had claimed gold in the 80kg at the U19 World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this year — across all three rounds to reach the women's 80+kg semifinals. Prachi further reinforced her credentials on Friday with a dominant win over Alie Chartier of Canada, who received one count in the first round and two in the second before the bout was awarded to the Indian by RSC (Referee Stops Contest). In the semifinals, Prachi will face Russia's Samira Itonieva.
Harshika and Lakshu One Win from a Medal
Harshika and Lakshu are now one victory away from guaranteed medals following contrasting wins in their respective pre-quarterfinals. Harshika beat Tiana Rew of Australia 4-0 in the women's 65kg category, while Lakshu edged out Buse Nur Yahan of Turkey 3-2 in the women's 70kg category.
Indian Men Show Promising Form
Aman Dev continued his clinical run at the tournament, defeating Serbia's Pavle Popovic by a 5-0 verdict to reach the men's 50kg quarterfinals, where he will face Shalva Beridze of Georgia. Mausam Suhag also booked his berth in the round of 16 with a 5-0 win over Italy's Giuseppe Cavallo in the men's 65kg category and will next face Turkey's Mehmet Enes Sanli.
Mixed Results as Some Indians Exit
Not all results went India's way. Himanshi went down 1-4 against Ellen Joyce of Ireland in the women's 48kg pre-quarterfinals. The previous night, Anshika's campaign in the women's 75kg category ended via RSC loss to China's Shengjie Gong in the pre-quarterfinals. In the men's 90kg category, Dhruv was beaten 0-3 by Poland's Aleksander Sikora.
India's Medal Tally and Road Ahead
With two medals already secured and several bouts to play, India's contingent is building one of its stronger showings at the U-19 World Boxing Championships. The performance of Prachi Tokas in particular — who is widely regarded as one of the continent's standout junior talents — will be closely watched as she enters the semifinals. The coming days will determine whether India can convert semifinal appearances into gold.
Point of View
With several more in contention, signals a maturing junior boxing pipeline. Prachi Tokas, in particular, stands out — her RSC win over a Bangkok Futures Cup gold medallist was not a close decision. The question now is whether India's semifinal presence translates into podium finishes at the top step, which has historically been the gap between promise and pedigree at this level.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Megha Sheokand and what did she achieve at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships?
Megha Sheokand is an Indian junior boxer who advanced to the women's 80kg semifinals at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro, by defeating Turkey's Melisa Eroglu 5-0 on 23 October. This result assures her of at least a bronze medal, making her the second Indian to be guaranteed a medal at the tournament.
Who was the first Indian to secure a medal at the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships?
Prachi Tokas was the first Indian to be assured of a medal, after she defeated Samoa's Kealey Perez on Thursday to reach the women's 80+kg semifinals. She is the Asian U-19 champion and will face Russia's Samira Itonieva in the next round.
Where are the 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships being held?
The 2026 World Boxing U-19 Championships are being held in Budva, Montenegro.
Which Indian boxers are still in contention for medals?
Harshika and Lakshu are one win away from guaranteed medals, having won their pre-quarterfinal bouts in the women's 65kg and 70kg categories respectively. Aman Dev has reached the men's 50kg quarterfinals, while Mausam Suhag is through to the round of 16 in men's 65kg.
Which Indian boxers were eliminated on 23 October?
Himanshi lost 1-4 to Ireland's Ellen Joyce in the women's 48kg pre-quarterfinals. Anshika's campaign in the women's 75kg category had ended the previous night via RSC against China's Shengjie Gong, and Dhruv was beaten 0-3 by Poland's Aleksander Sikora in the men's 90kg category.
