Cindy Ngamba on 'amazing' Paris 2024 experience and long journey to winning Refugee Olympic Team's first-ever medal
Published 11/08/2024 at 14:02 GMT+1
Cindy Ngamba became the Refugee Olympic Team’s first-ever medallist when she secured bronze after losing to Panama’s Atheyna Bylin in the women’s 75kg boxing semi-finals. Speaking to Eurosport, she said her Olympics experience was "amazing" and opened up on her long journey to Paris 2024. "There is always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
'Keep on believing there's always light at the end of the tunnel' - Ngamba on her life journey
Video credit: TNT Sports
Cindy Ngamba has revealed how it felt to become the Refugee Olympic Team’s first ever medallist, telling Eurosport’s Bonjour Paris that “everything has been amazing”.
The 25-year-old was one of Paris 2024’s most inspiring stories as she breezed her way through the last 16 and quarter-finals to secure the Refugee Olympic Team’s first ever medal – with all semi-finalists guaranteed at least a bronze.
But she wasn’t able to battle it out for top spot on the podium, losing her semi-final bout against Panama’s Atheyna Bylon 4-1.
“It’s been an amazing experience for me to have won a medal and to have been in Paris where my family is, and the support from the Refugee Olympic Team and GB Boxing,” she said.
“I won a medal, I’m happy, I’m the first-ever refugee to have won a medal – everything has been amazing.”
The feat was the latest chapter in an already amazing story filled with hardship and determination for Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon before moving to the UK aged 11.
After getting into boxing aged 15, she rose through the ranks in the UK, winning national titles across three divisions.
But she hasn’t been able to win her fight to get British citizenship despite repeated attempts – hence why she is competing for the Refugee Olympic Team and not Team GB.
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“I came to the UK when I was 11 years old and after having to apply so many times with my [citizenship] cases, it got denied,” she explained.
“After a couple of years, I was given refugee status and that’s when I managed to get hold of the [Olympic] Refuge Federation through GB boxing – they were the ones who helped and supported me because they saw that I had the goal and the skills; they didn’t want it to go to waste.
“Through it I was able to qualify for the Olympics, come to the Olympics and get myself a medal.”
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Ngamba showed 'guts and determination' after her 'inspiring' journey
Video credit: TNT Sports
Her route to the Olympics hasn’t been straightforward though, and the bronze medallist had to juggle training with legal battles.
“I’m just human like any other human and any other refugee,” she said.
“When you feel like life is bringing you down, you always have to look in the way of do other people have it worse than you out there?
“[The] past couple of years of my life, I thought it was going to be the end of the end. I thought this is it for me, there’s no other way forward, but having the support, having to believe in myself and having to acknowledge that I’m not the only one in this world that is having it bad.
"All I can do is my best, and keep on striving; keep my head held high, keep on working hard and keep on believing that there is always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
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GB's Richardson shares his British flag with Ngamba from Refugee Olympic Team
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ngamba highlighted how she feels about her citizenship and the support she receives from GB Boxing when she shared a British flag with Team GB’s Lewis Richardson - himself a bronze medallist at Paris 2024 in the men’s welterweight division.
“Me and Lewis [Richardson] and many of the GB boxers are very close – that’s the beauty of any individual and team sport,” said Ngamba.
“Even though it’s an individual sport, we all have that support and love for each other - we know how hard we all work. He’s my team-mate and to be able to share that moment with him was unforgettable and memorable.”
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer
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