Mumbai, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Haryana’s Gunjan in the women’s 48kg category and Manipur’s L. Ambekar Meitei in the men’s 50kg category will represent India at the upcoming Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Senegal from October 31 to November 13.
India has secured two boxing quotas for the Games, one each in the men’s and women’s categories. Both Indian boxers earned their places by winning silver medals at the qualifying championship.
Under the eligibility criteria for Dakar 2026, boxers were required to participate in the U19 World Boxing Future Cup, held in the first quarter of 2026, to be considered for selection. The participating National Boxing Federations were also required to be affiliated with World Boxing.
Boxing has been part of every edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games since the inaugural event in Singapore in 2010. The boxing competition at Dakar 2026 will take place from November 7 to 12 at the Dakar Exhibition Centre in Diamniadio.
A total of 116 boxers representing 77 National Olympic Committees will compete across five weight categories each for men and women. The men’s categories are 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg and 70kg, while the women’s categories are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg and 60kg.
India has emerged as a strong performer in boxing at major international competitions in recent years, winning medals at the Summer Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. The country has also recorded notable performances at the age-group level.
At the Summer Youth Olympic Games, India had won one silver medal and one bronze medal through the 2018 edition.
Dakar 2026 will be the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, which began in Singapore in 2010.
Originally scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from October 22 to November 9, 2022, over 18 days, the Games were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event will now be held over 14 days, from October 31 to November 13, 2026. It will be the first International Olympic Committee event hosted in Africa and the first Youth Olympic Games under IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
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