This week, Cameroon-born middleweight fighter, Cindy Ngamba, made history for the Refugee Olympic Team by clinching the team’s first-ever Olympic medal.
Ngamba will also make history as the first athlete on the Refugee Olympic Team to win a medal to be LGBTQ.
The IOC’s refugee team was assembled for the Rio 2016 Games and was created to help support athletes impacted by the global refugee crisis in training and qualifying for the Olympic Games.
In 2022, Ngamba came out as a lesbian to her family.
Cameroon is one of 61 countries around the globe with laws that criminalize LGBTQ people; not only does the nation refuse to acknowledge same-sex relationships, but same-sex sexual relations are punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.
Despite Ngamba’s Olympic-sized wins and accomplishments in sport, she joins together with Olympians who will not be able to return to her home country after the Olympic games because of anti-LGBTQ criminalization laws and policies.
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After beating France’s Davina Michel by unanimous decision this week in Paris, Ngamba said, “This means the world to me. I hope I can change the color of my medal in the next fight!” I want to tell the refugees around the world, keep on working hard, keep on pushing yourself, and you can accomplish anything.”
Cindy Ngamba’s historic journey first began when she and her family fled to England in 2009 amidst sporadic civil conflicts in Cameroon. Adjusting to a new life in the town of Bolton proved challenging for Ngamba, who had to adapt to a new school and culture. Through the chaos, she found solace in sports.
In an interview with Olympics.com, Ngamba shared the story of how she discovered her passion for boxing. “One day, when I was walking out of the football training session, I saw many boys coming out of a room and all I heard is boom, boom.” She continued, saying, “I walked inside, and I saw boys in the room punching each other on the head and I thought, ‘this is cool.’ That moment ignited a spark in Ngamba, leading her to trade in her soccer cleats for boxing gloves, and she has never looked back since…
As an amateur boxer in the U.K., Cindy quickly developed a reputation for her offensive prowess. With her skillset, Ngamba won three national championships in three different weight classes–a rare achievement that eventually caught the attention of Great Britain’s national boxing team. Despite her success, the path to representing Team Great Britain was complicated as she had not yet been granted U.K. citizenship.
Ngamba’s story took a dramatic turn during a routine visit to the immigration office.
During the visit, she and her brother were suddenly separated, a harrowing experience that underscored the fragility of being a refugee in the U.K. Although she was promptly released once proof of residency was shown, the ordeal weighed heavy on Ngamba. Reflecting on the shock of the experience, she said, “When I grew up, I felt like I was from here. I didn’t think of myself as an immigrant.”
Despite these challenges, she persevered, putting two more national championships under her belt and earning a degree in Criminal Justice from Bolton University.
Ngamba’s decision to come out ultimately led to her being granted asylum in the U.K. since being LGBTQ in Cameroon carries risk of physical violence and persecution. Although she received asylum, Ngamba’s citizenship status is still pending, making her ineligible to compete for Team Great Britain in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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Undeterred, she forged a new path forward by joining the Refugee Olympic Team.
Having been created in 2016, the Refugee team is still relatively new to the Olympics. Ngamba has already made history as the team’s first boxer; now, she will lead the Refugee Olympic Team to its first Olympic medal.
Due to Boxing’s unique rules in which two fighters receive bronze medals, she is guaranteed at least bronze regardless of the outcome of her upcoming bout.
On Thursday, August 8th at 4:18 p.m. ET, Cindy Ngamba will face off against Panama’s Atheyna Bylon in the Semifinals of Women’s 75kg. While she is already guaranteed a bronze medal, winning Thursday’s semifinal match will bring Ngamba one step closer to the coveted gold.
To ensure comprehensive and fair coverage of LGBTQ olympians, GLAAD’s 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Guide was created in collaboration with Athlete Ally and Pride House France, and produced by the GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s training, research and consulting division. Learn more at GLAAD.org/Institute and support GLAAD’s work here.