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."
From Cameroon to Britain - who is Ngamba?
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.
