Ngamba guarantees refugee team first Olympic medal

Boxer Cindy Ngamba said she was "just human like any other refugee" after making history by guaranteeing the Refugee Olympic Team a first Games medal.

The 25-year-old beat sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Davina Michel by unanimous decision on Sunday to reach the women's 75kg semi-finals.

With both losing semi-finalists awarded bronze, the Cameroon-born fighter is assured of a medal at Paris 2024.

Ngamba moved to the UK aged 10, but cannot compete for Team GB because she does not have a British passport.

"It means the world to me to be the first ever refugee to win a medal," she said. "I'm just a human, just like any other refugee and athlete all around the world."

The Refugee Olympic Team first competed at Rio in 2016, but prior to this Games the team's best results were two fifth-placed finishes in Tokyo through Hamoon Derafshipour in karate and Kimia Alizadeh in taekwondo.

Ngamba, who was the team's flagbearer at the opening ceremony in Paris, next faces Atheyna Bylon of Panama on Thursday.

She added: "Hopefully in the next one, I will also get the job done. No, not hopefully. I will get it done."

Ngamba is unable to return to Cameroon because of her sexuality - with homosexuality in the country punishable with up to five years in prison.

However, after 15 years in England, she is still fighting to be granted a visa and UK citizenship.

Five years ago she was on the verge of being deported after attending what she thought was a routine signing-on process to let authorities know she was still in the country.

Ngamba was arrested, along with her brother Kennet, and sent from Manchester to a detention camp in London, before being released the following day.

Before Paris 2024, GB Boxing unsuccessfully tried to add Ngamba to their ranks for the Olympic programme, even writing a request to the Home Office to grant her citizenship.

She won a scholarship with the IOC refugee team, and is the first female boxer to represent the team at a Games.