Aizawl, May 15: Samuel Zadeng of Mizoram secured a gold medal in the boys’ 70kg boxing category at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025, delivering a 5-0 unanimous victory over Uttar Pradesh’s Peaveen Yadav in the final held on Wednesday. The win marked Mizoram’s entry into the medal tally at this year’s games.

Zadeng, 17, is the son of former national-level boxer ZD Lalrensanga. Coming off a bronze at the Youth National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida, he now eyes selection under the Khelo India Scheme, which would support his training with a monthly stipend and better facilities.

“This medal is not just a reward, it’s a message to myself that I belong here,” said Zadeng, who also holds the current state title in his weight category.

In the same category, bronze medals went to Sagar Thakur of Himachal Pradesh and Anshul Khasa of Haryana.

While Mizoram celebrated Zadeng’s achievement, Haryana dominated the boys’ boxing events, winning six of the ten gold medals on offer. Delhi led in the girls’ division with five golds.

In other key results, Harsh of Chandigarh defeated Tikam Singh of Delhi with a 4-1 split decision in the boys’ 55kg final. Bronze medals were claimed by Haryana’s Jaitan and Uttar Pradesh’s Sundram Yadav.

In the girls’ events, Radhamani Longjam of Manipur defeated Punjab’s Muskan in a close 3-2 split decision in the 57kg final, while Haryana’s Nisha won gold in the 65kg category with a narrow 3-2 win over Rajasthan’s Jigyasa Patel.