Cindy Ngamba wins historic first medal for Refugee Olympic Team

Refugee athlete Cindy Ngamba secured the first-ever medal for the Refugee Olympic Team in Paris on Sunday, after she triumphed in her quarterfinal bout and guaranteed herself at least a bronze.

Competing in the women’s 75kg category, Ngamba defeated Davina Michel of France 5-0, marking a unanimous decision from the judges in her favour. After a close opening round, she swept through the rest of the bout against the competition’s sixth seed and ultimately won with room to spare.

“It means the world to me to be the first ever refugee athlete to win a medal,” Ngamba said after the fight. “I hope I can change the [colour of] the medal on my next fight – in fact, I will change it.”

She added: “I was fighting a very tough opponent today … but I listened to my trainers and coaches, I stuck to the tactics and I stayed calm and composed.”

Cindy Ngamba walks into the ring. IOC/John Huet

Ngamba had beaten the Canadian fighter Tammara Thibeault in the first round, in a much closer contest that ended 3-2 on the judges’ scorecards. Next, she faces Atheyna Bylon from Panama on Thursday, 8 August for a place in the gold-medal match.

But whatever the outcome – and whatever the eventual colour of her medal – her historic achievement has already sent a powerful message of hope to some 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.

“I want to say to refugees all around the world – [including] refugees who are not athletes around the world – keep on working, keep on believing in yourself, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to.”

Ngamba’s medal-winning feat is only the latest challenge the 25-year-old has overcome to make it to Paris as the first-ever refugee boxer to qualify for the Olympics.

Ngamba arrived in the UK at the age of 11, unable to speak English. She faced bullying and loneliness at school until she discovered boxing by chance at her local youth club in Bolton. Initially, there were no other girls for her to train with and she had to spar with boys, but she soon began travelling for fights. She won the first of three national championships in 2019.

Her training for the Olympics was supported by the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) through its Refugee Athletes Scholarship Programme, which is funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Her mother, aunt and some of her siblings live in Paris, which has made her Olympic dream even more special.

“Cindy reminds us what refugees can and do achieve, how they thrive if they are given the opportunity and what a positive contribution they make to communities around the world,” said Jojo Ferris, Head of the Olympic Refuge Foundation. “This is a huge moment for Cindy, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and 120 million people across the world that have been forced to flee their homes.”

Many refugees have been cheering Ngama and her team-mates on over the past week as they watched the action at the Maison des Réfugiés in Paris, which has acted as a focal point for local support for the team.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, offered his congratulations immediately after the bout “for reaching the boxing semi-finals at Paris 2024 and being assured of a medal – the first ever medal for the Refugee Olympic team. You do us all very, very proud!”

Ngamba is one of 37 athletes competing in Paris as part of the refugee team, which was created by the IOC to give displaced sportspeople the chance to compete at the highest level. She was also one of the flagbearers at the opening ceremony, along with Yahya Al Ghotany, a taekwondoin who lives in Jordan’s Azraq Refugee Camp.

The first-ever refugee team took part in the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, followed by a 29-strong team competing at Tokyo 2020.