Cindy Ngamba has made history as the first-ever medallist for the Refugee Olympic Team. The LGBTQ+ boxer beat France’s Davina Michel in the women’s 75kg quarter-finals on Sunday, August 4, guaranteeing at least bronze at the Paris Games.
Ngamba is one of just 37 athletes on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, which was established ahead of Rio 2016 for those who have been forcibly displaced and cannot compete for their home countries. Born in Cameroon, the 25-year-old moved to the UK aged 11 and sought refugee status in 2021 over fears of sexuality-based persecution in the Central African nation.
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Supported by GB Boxing, she has also applied for British citizenship several times but has been unsuccessful.
“During my cases, I tried to use my boxing, me going to school or college but the Home Office did not want to hear any of it,” she explained. “You could get put in prison or get killed and with me being gay, I could not get sent back.”
Following her history-making victory at the weekend, she stated: “It means the world to me to be the first ever refugee to win a medal…I’m a human, just like any other refugee and athlete all around the world.”
Ngamba encouraged all other people in similar positions to “keep believing,” adding: “You can achieve whatever you set your mind to. A lot of people won’t believe in you, a lot people didn’t believe in me. But, at the end of the day, it is just me in the ring. Only I can control the outcome.”
Cindy Ngamba will now face Panama’s Atheyna Bylon in the middleweight semi-finals on Thursday, August 8.
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Elsewhere in boxing, Ireland’s Kellie Harrington has become a two-time gold medalist, making her the only Irish woman to successfully defend her Olympic title. It was her last ever international fight, with the Dubliner announcing that the next chapter of her life is for herself and her wife Mandy.
While the victory was largely celebrated across Ireland, Harrington’s status as a role model has been criticised by some who highlighted previous anti-immigration and anti-trans comments made by the athlete.
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