- Cindy Ngamba has secured the first medal for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Games.
- Ngamba has advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s boxing 75kg category.
Cindy Ngamba has made history by securing the Refugee Olympic Team’s first medal at the Games.
Ngamba reached the semi-finals in the women’s boxing 75kg division by winning against France’s Davina Michel through a unanimous decision.
The 25-year-old will definitely win a medal, as both losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze.
She is unable to compete for Team GB, as she does not possess a British passport.
In the semi-finals, Ngamba will face Panama’s Atheyna Bylon.
Cindy Ngamba has guaranteed the first medal at the Games for the Refugee Olympic Team
Ngamba is through to the semi-finals of the women’s boxing 75kg after beating Davina Michel
The Refugee Olympic Team made its debut at the Rio Games in 2016.
The original team represented 60 million displaced people globally, a figure that the UN reports has risen to over 100 million.
Ngamba not eligible to represent Team GB due as she doesn’t have a British passport
Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon, relocated to Bolton, UK, at the age of 12. Unfortunately, her uncle misplaced her immigration documents when he returned to Cameroon, leading to their detention in 2019 while attending an immigration appointment.
They were released the following day, and Ngamba came out as a lesbian at 18. Consequently, she has no intention of returning to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal.
Before the Games, Ngamba expressed: ‘Each member of the Refugee Olympic Team comes from diverse backgrounds and has unique life experiences, but sport brings us together. We are a family, and we will go out there, support each other, and demonstrate what we are capable of.’
