Michael Maughan won gold in the under-70kg category at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Thursday. The British boxer dominated his route to the final before defeating Bibarys Ashirbay by split decision. At just 16 years old, Maughan secured the title he had travelled to Senegal to pursue and confirmed his status as one of British boxing’s leading young prospects. He has also added a major achievement to an international career that had already begun with a European junior title.
Michael Maughan crowned Youth Olympic champion in Dakar
Michael Maughan came through the Youth Olympic Games boxing tournament with remarkable consistency and an almost perfect final record. Before the final, the British boxer had not dropped a single round and had won all three of his previous bouts by unanimous decision from the five judges. His campaign began on 7 November against Jeremi Soriano, whom he comfortably defeated 5-0 in the round of 16. Maughan then confirmed his form in the quarter-finals against Ahmed Mobarak, whom he also beat by a clear 5-0 scoreline.
The same pattern continued in the semi-finals. Facing Mohamed Moaaz, the British boxer once again secured a unanimous 5-0 victory to book his place in the final. Three bouts, three unanimous decisions and not a single round conceded. Standing in his way, Bibarys Ashirbay arrived with an equally convincing record. The final obstacle between Maughan and gold was therefore a boxer who had also reached the final without suffering a defeat in the tournament.
The British boxer ultimately secured victory by split decision. Four of the five judges awarded the bout to Maughan, while only one judge gave the advantage to Ashirbay. The scorecards reflected a closely contested fight, with Maughan notably taking the first and third rounds 10-9 according to several judges, while the margins remained narrow across all three rounds. This time, he did not receive a unanimous decision, but he secured enough judges’ votes to claim the Youth Olympic title.
The gold medal also rewards a journey that began long before Dakar. Maughan had been announced alongside Lily Bassett as one of the first two British athletes selected for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Their early selection was already a sign of the confidence placed in the two young boxers, with British boxing arriving in Dakar carrying the memory of the previous Youth Olympic Games edition in 2018.
In Buenos Aires, the British delegation enjoyed an exceptional boxing campaign, winning three gold medals and one bronze from four boxers entered. Caroline Dubois, Karol Itauma and Ivan Hope Price won their respective categories, while Hassan Azim claimed bronze. Eight years later, that record inevitably provided a benchmark for the new generation. Maughan and Bassett were therefore selected with significant expectations around them, although their primary objective remained to confirm their potential in the ring.
Lily Bassett also left Dakar with a medal. Competing in the under-48kg category, the British boxer reached the semi-finals after winning her first two bouts, before losing to India’s Gunjan by split decision, 4-1. She therefore returned home with bronze, while Maughan went all the way to claim gold.
For Maughan, this victory above all confirms the progress he has made over several years. The British boxer won his first European junior title in 2025 at his first appearance at a continental championship, before continuing his development in the under-70kg category. His selection for Dakar then rewarded that progress and gave him the opportunity to test himself against the next generation of international talent. An experience he has concluded in the best possible way by becoming the 2026 Youth Olympic champion.
