Boxer Cindy Ngamba won the first ever medal for the Olympic refugee team at the Paris-Nord Arena on Sunday. She secured at least bronze by beating France’s Davina Michel in the women’s quarterfinals in the under 75 kilogram class.
The Olympics do not feature bronze medal fights in boxing, so Ngamba will win or lose a medal in the semifinals. She will fight Panamanian Atheyna Bibeichi Bylon next Thursday when boxing moves to Roland Garros.
“It means the world to me to be the first refugee team member to win a medal,” Ngamba said. “I’m just a human being, just like any other refugee. There are refugees all over the world.”
Ngamba, 25, was born in Cameroon and moved to the UK when she was 11. Ngamba, who is gay, cannot return home because homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon. She now lives in Bolton, a city in Greater Manchester, England, and trains with Great Britain Boxing.
With her victory over Davina Michel (FRA), boxer @CindyNgamba (EOR) just made history by guaranteeing the IOC its first ever Olympic medal @RefugeesOlympic Team! #Paris2024 #Olympics photo.twitter.com/lmN0fhdqA5
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 4, 2024
Ngamba was the flag bearer for the refugee team, which was founded in 2015 and made its debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics, during the opening ceremony together with taekwondo athlete Yahya Al Ghotany.
GO DEEPER
Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba wins Olympic medal – ‘She is an inspiration to us all’
Ngamba is part of the 37-athlete refugee squad in Paris after being introduced to the International Olympic Committee’s refugee programme during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been repeatedly denied British citizenship despite claiming three national titles in various weight classes and receiving support from GB Boxing, the sport’s governing body, in her applications to the Home Office.
“I want to say to all the refugees around the world and refugees who are not athletes and especially people around the world, keep working hard, keep believing in yourself,” Ngamba said. “You can achieve anything you put your mind to.”
The other semi-final will be played by China’s Qian Li and Australia’s Caitlin Parker.
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(Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
