Boxer Cindy Ngamba clinched the first medal of any kind for the Olympic refugee team Sunday at North Paris Arena, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze with a win against France’s Davina Michel in the women’s 75-kilogram quarterfinals.
The Olympics do not hold bronze medal bouts in boxing, so Ngamba will receive a medal win or lose in the semifinals. She fights Panama’s Atheyna Bibeichi Bylon next on 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 human, like any other refugee. There are refugees all around the world.”
Ngamba, 25, was born in Cameroon and moved to the United Kingdom when she was 11. Ngamba, who is gay, cannot return home because homosexuality is outlawed in Cameroon. She now lives in Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester, England, and trains with Great Britain boxing.
With her win over Davina Michel (FRA), boxer @CindyNgamba (EOR) has just made history by guaranteeing a first-ever Olympic medal for the IOC @RefugeesOlympic Team! #Paris2024 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/lmN0fhdqA5
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 4, 2024
Ngamba served as the flag bearer for the refugee team, which was created in 2015 and debuted at the 2016 Rio Games, at the opening…
