Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba (born 7 September 1998)[1] is a Cameroonian boxer who competed for the EOC Refugee Team at the 2023 European Games. She is the first-ever medalist for the Refugee Olympic Team, having won bronze in women's 75 kg boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[2][3][4]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National team | Refugee Olympic Team | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 September 1998 Douala, Cameroon | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | Middleweight | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Boxing | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Bolton | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Personal life
editNgamba was born in Cameroon.[5] At the age of 11, Ngamba moved to the United Kingdom.[5] Her uncle lost Ngamba's immigration paperwork when he moved back to Cameroon.[6] Ngamba has since gained a BA (Hons) degree in Crime and Criminal Justice at the University of Bolton.[7]
In 2019,[6] Ngamba and her brother were detained whilst attending an immigration office in Bolton and sent to a detention centre in London.[7][8] They were released the following day.[7] Aged 18, Ngamba came out as lesbian; as such, she is unable to return to Cameroon without risk of imprisonment, as homosexuality is illegal there.[5]
Career
editNgamba trains with GB Boxing, although she cannot compete for Great Britain as she does not have a British passport.[5] She has won British National Amateur Championships in three different weight categories, making her the first woman to achieve the feat since Natasha Jonas.[7][5] In 2023, Ngamba won a Bocskai event in Hungary,[8] and competed in the under 75kg event[9] for the EOC Refugee Team at the 2023 European Games.[5]
She competed for the Refugee Olympic Team in the 2024 World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 1[7] and qualified for the Summer Olympics in Paris, alongside her British colleague Chantelle Reid.[10] On 2 May 2024, Ngamba was officially named in the Refugee Olympic Team making her the first boxer to be selected for the team.[11] She was also chosen as one of the Refugee Olympic Team flag-bearers for the opening ceremony alongside Syrian Taekwondo athlete Yahya Al-Ghotany.[12][13]
Ngamba was drawn to fight 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships gold medalist Tammara Thibeault from Canada in the first round[14][15] and won by 3:2 split decision.[16][17] She defeated 2022 World Championship bronze medalist Davina Michel of France via unanimous decision in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics to guarantee herself at least a bronze medal and in the process becoming the first person to win an Olympic medal for the Refugee Olympic Team.[18][19][20] She fought Atheyna Bylon from Panama in the semi-finals and lost by 4:1 split decision, therefore taking a bronze medal.[3][4]
See also
edit- Zakia Khudadadi, Afghan athlete, first medalist for the Refugee Paralympic Team at 2024 Summer Paralympics
References
edit- ^ "Cindy Ngamba". tapology.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Cindy Ngamba makes history as first refugee to secure Olympic medal, reaches boxing semi-finals". Olympics. 4 August 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Bolton boxer Cindy Ngamba secures place in Olympics history despite heartbreak in Paris". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Cindy Ngamba wins bronze for Refugee Olympic Team's first ever medal". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba has 'overcome obstacles' to pursue Team GB dreams". The Independent. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Bolton boxing champion faces deportation threat". The Bolton News. 21 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Paris Olympics: Cindy Ngamba on fighting for British citizenship and her dream of competing at the Games". BBC Sport. 8 March 2024. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Cindy Ngamba's extraordinary fight to box for Britain and keep her Olympic dream alive: 'I had to go through so much'". Sky Sports. 25 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "EOC Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba: "If I was able to overcome those times then I can overcome any situation"". International Olympic Committee. 27 June 2023. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Paris Olympics: GB-based boxers Patrick Brown, Chantelle Reid and Cindy Ngamba qualify for Games". BBC Sport. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "GB-based boxer Ngamba named in Refugee Olympic Team". BBC Sport. 2 May 2024. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Refugee boxer to be Paris 2024 Olympic flagbearer". BBC Sport. 25 July 2024. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Boxer and taekwondo athlete to carry Refugee Olympic Team flag". Inside the Games. 25 July 2024. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "GB boxers need 'performance of life' after tough draw". BBC Sport. 25 July 2024. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Olympics 2024: Lauren Price backs 'absolute machine' Cindy Ngamba and GB's Chantelle Reid for Paris success". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024 Olympics: Refugee Team star Cindy Ngamba begins bid for gold with statement win - 'Not finished yet'". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Cindy Ngamba Has a Fighting Chance at the Refugee Olympic Team's First Medal". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Cindy Ngamba makes history as first refugee to secure Olympic medal, reaches boxing semi-finals". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Boxer Cindy Ngamba is the refugee team's first athlete to clinch a medal at the Paris Olympics". CBS42. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Ngamba guarantees refugee team first Olympic medal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.