This Cameroonian Woman Boxer Has Made History As The First Refugee Athlete To Win An Olympic Medal
“Being a refugee to me means a life-changing opportunity. A lot of refugees out there all around the world have so many potentials, but they don’t have that the doors open for them yet. It’s a big family, all around the world,” Cindy Ngamba said.
Cameroonian Boxer Cindy Djankeu Ngamba has made history by becoming the first athlete competing as a refugee to ever win an Olympic medal.
Ngamba was born in Cameroon and moved to England in 2009 when she was 11.
She took up boxing four years later at age 15.
When she was 18, Ngamba came out as gay.
This meant she was unable to return back to Cameroon nor represent the country, because it is illegal to be LGBTQ.
Although she trains with Great Britain Boxing, she was also unable to represent Great Britain as she is not a British citizen.
In March, she became the first refugee boxer to qualify for the Olympics.
As one of the 37 athletes of the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team, Ngamba also served as the flagbearer during the opening ceremony along with Syrian taekwondo athlete Yahya Al Ghotany.
“Being a refugee to me means a life-changing opportunity. A lot of refugees out there all around the world have so many potentials, but they don’t have that the doors open for them yet. It’s a big family, all around the world,” she said.
“I don’t see myself as a role model. I see myself just like any human being, anyone that has a goal or aims in life. And I’m just trying to pursue it, just like anybody else”
The 25-year-old athlete won a bronze medal on Thursday, Aug. 8, after she was defeated by Panama’s Atheyna Bylon 4-1 in the semifinals. The losers of the semifinals are both rewarded bronze medals in elite boxing.
This is the first medal for the Refugee team, which first debuted in the 2016 Rio Games.
The team was created by the IOC as a symbol of hope for refugees all around the world and to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis.
The team allows displaced athletes to participate in the Olympics without assistance from their national federations.
Ngamba’s win is not only significant for the Team ÉOR but for the 120 million refugees from around the world.
“It means the world to me to be the first-ever refugee athlete to win a medal.,” Ngamba said after the quarterfinal match. “I want to say to all the refugees around the world... Keep on working hard, keep on believing in yourself.”
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