Cindy Djankeu Ngamba becomes first athlete from Refugee Olympic Team to secure Olympic medal
Djankeu Ngamba will now play in the semi-finals on Thursday, where she will face Panama's Atheyna Bylon for a chance to compete for the gold medal.
Cindy Djankeu Ngamba made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first athlete from the Refugee Olympic Team to secure an Olympic medal. On Sunday, Ngamba won unanimously over French contender Davina Michel in the women's 75kg boxing semi-finals, ensuring at least a bronze medal.
“It means the world to me to be the first-ever refugee athlete to win a medal,” Ngamba said after Sunday’s victory. “I hope I can change the [colour of] the medal on my next fight. In fact, I will change it.”
Ngamba's achievement is a significant milestone for the Refugee Olympic Team, whose previous best results were two fifth-place finishes at the Tokyo Games. She made it to the semi-finals with her aggressive and tactical boxing. Against Michel, she started strong, impressively winning the first round and securing a dominant lead in the second.
Despite being advised to play it safe in the final round, Ngamba continued to dominate, earning perfect scores from all judges. She will now play in the semi-finals on Thursday, where she will face Panama's Atheyna Bylon for a chance to compete for the gold medal.
"I was fighting a very tough opponent today but I listened to myself. I stuck to my tactics and I got the job done," Ngamba said.
Ngamba's journey has been fraught with personal challenges. Born in Cameroon and now based in the UK, she cannot compete for Team GB due to her lack of a British passport. Ngamba moved to the UK at the age of ten and has faced struggles, including a near-deportation experience five years ago.
She and her brother were detained during a routine check-in with authorities but were released the following day. Her sexuality has complicated her ongoing battle for UK citizenship, as homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment in Cameroon.
Ngamba received a scholarship from the IOC refugee team, became the first female boxer to represent the team at the Olympics, and was a flagbearer for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony.
“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,” she told Olympics.com.