FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — November 6, 2026 | Dakar, Senegal — Following today’s official draw at the Dakar Expo Center, the stage is officially set for the boxing competition at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games. Boxing Canada proudly announces that our nation’s top youth boxers are primed, focused, and ready to make their mark on the global stage as preliminary bouts get underway tomorrow, Saturday, November 7.
With promising youth boxing talent descending upon Dakar from across the globe, the Canadian contingent enters the tournament with strong momentum following rigorous preparation. Guiding the Canadian delegation in Dakar is Canadian Youth Olympic Games Boxing Team Coach Brad Ross of Tribal Boxing (Nova Scotia).
Men’s 55kg — Lisandro Rebelo Garcia (The Boxer’s Club, Ontario):
Opening Bout (Round of 16): Rebelo Garcia steps into the ring on opening day, Saturday, November 7, during Session 2 (17:00 local time / 12:00 PM EST) in Bout 12. Fighting out of the Blue Corner, he faces Mike Parhiala (Finland) in a preliminary showdown. The winner advances to the quarterfinals on Monday, November 9 (Afternoon Session, Bout 38) against Alieu Sanyang (The Gambia).
Women’s 51kg — Mehreen Khakh (Destiny Boxing, Ontario):
Opening Bout (Quarterfinals): Khakh received a first-round preliminary bye in the 12-boxer Women’s 51kg bracket, placing her directly into the quarterfinals on Monday, November 9 (Evening Session, Bout 46). She faces the winner of Saturday evening’s Round of 16 bout (Bout 11) between Precious Masaba (Botswana) and Tala Hussein (Jordan), with a Youth Olympic Games medal on the line.
“The foundation for these Games was built through months of tireless work by Mehreen and Lisandro alongside their personal coaches in their home gyms in Ontario, followed by a sharp, focused mini-camp together at our National Training Centre in Montreal right before we departed for Senegal,” said Canadian Youth Olympic Games Team Coach Brad Ross. “That final tune-up in Montreal brought everything together technically and tactically. Lisandro is ready to set the tone for Team Canada tomorrow evening against Finland, and Mehreen’s opening-round bye puts her one win away from the podium on Monday. Both athletes are proud to represent their home clubs and Canada.”
Competition begins tomorrow, Saturday, November 7, at the Dakar Expo Center, with Session 1 starting at 12:00 local time (7:00 AM EST) and Session 2 at 17:00 local time (12:00 PM EST). Boxing Canada encourages all supporters across the country to follow our official channels for daily updates, bout schedules, and results as our athletes pursue podium glory on the road to the finals on November 12.
Fans can stream the action live on World Boxing’s website.
Boxing Canada sends its full support to Mehreen, Lisandro, and Coach Brad as they chase gold in Dakar!
-ENDS-
About Boxing Canada: Boxing Canada is the national sport organization for the sport of Olympic Boxing in Canada. It provides leadership for national programming, teams, and policies in partnership with each province and territory’s sport organization. Thanks to the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Rival Boxing Canada, and all our national partners for their support. For more information on Boxing Canada, please visit BoxingCanada.org.
For media inquiries regarding the Canadian National Team please contact Christopher Lindsay at clindsay@boxingcanada.org
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