Dakar: India’s Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu scripted history at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, clinching a bronze medal in the women’s Changquan combined wushu event on Tuesday to become the country’s first-ever wushu medallist at the competition.
The young athlete from Manipur secured third place with a combined score of 18.039 points, marking a significant milestone for Indian wushu as the sport made its debut as a medal event at the Youth Olympic Games.
Chanu scored 8.723 points in Gunshu and 9.316 in Changquan to finish on the podium. She was placed fourth after the Gunshu routine but produced a strong performance in Changquan to move up to third position.
Egypt’s Sondos Sonbol claimed the gold medal with a combined score of 18.660, while Venezuela’s Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado took silver with 18.199.
Chanu’s achievement is particularly significant for Manipur, which has a strong tradition in wushu and has produced several international-level athletes in the discipline.
Before her Youth Olympics campaign, Chanu had also won a bronze medal in the girls’ youth Changquan event at the 2026 World Junior Wushu Championships in Tianjin, China.
Her historic podium finish took India’s medal tally at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games to three, comprising one silver and two bronze medals.
Earlier, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won silver in the women’s 63kg judo category, while swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu secured bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle.
For Indian wushu, Chanu’s bronze represents a breakthrough moment and offers fresh encouragement to the next generation of athletes pursuing international success.
