Gunjan put on a tactical clinic at the Dakar Expo Center on Thursday, outclassing Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah by a unanimous 5-0 verdict to claim the women's 48kg gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. All five ringside judges awarded the bout 30-27 in the Indian pugilist's favour. She never took a backward step.
Yet her triumph was the second punch of an extraordinary golden double for Indian boxing in Senegal. Hours earlier, Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei ended a 16-year drought, edging Ireland's Kristian Jubani 3-2 in a razor-thin men's 50kg contest to become India's first-ever Youth Olympics boxing champion. Gunjan doubled that haul before the evening session drew to a close, cementing her place as the first Indian woman to capture Youth Olympic boxing gold.
From the opening bell of the 48kg final, Gunjan controlled the pocket. She worked behind a sharp lead hand, slipped Bensalah's overhand counters, and racked up scoring flurries that dictated the tempo through all three rounds. Bensalah pressed to close the distance. Gunjan pivoted off the ropes, answering every charge with crisp two-punch combinations that left no doubt on the official scorecards.
The clean sweep capped a relentless week for the Indian contingent in the Senegalese capital. Gunjan entered the bracket with a first-round bye before dismantling Mexico's Atena Sofia Juarez Calero 5-0 in the quarterfinals to guarantee a podium spot. In the semifinals, she brushed aside Great Britain's Lily Bassett 4-1, demonstrating the defensive discipline that carried her directly onto the top step of the podium.
| Bout Stage | Opponent | Country | Result | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Atena Sofia Juarez Calero | Mexico | Won | 5-0 Unanimous |
| Semifinal | Lily Bassett | Great Britain | Won | 4-1 Split |
| Final | Bouthaina Bensalah | Algeria | Won | 5-0 (30-27 x 5) |
Bensalah arrived in Thursday's final battle-tested. The Algerian opened her 48kg tournament with a clinical 5-0 demolition of Thailand's Pemika Payungkasem in the round of 16, followed by an identical 5-0 quarterfinal sweep against Nigeria's Shukurat Mayowa. Her toughest hurdle came in the semifinals, where she dug out a punishing 3-2 split decision over Italy's Michela Guglielmon to reach the gold medal bout before running into Gunjan's impenetrable guard.
But the tone for India's day was set by Ambekar Meetei. Competing in the men's 50kg showpiece, Ambekar engaged Jubani in a fierce tactical exchange across three relentless rounds. Jubani pushed forward with heavy hooks, but Ambekar's hand speed and counter-punching nicked the critical split on three of the five scorecards, securing the 3-2 verdict.
Having rewritten Indian boxing records in Dakar, both champions now look ahead to senior-circuit transitions as the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games enter their final stretch before the November 13 closing ceremony.