Cindy Ngamba already has a place in history. She became the first member of the refugee team to win an Olympic medal when she beat Davina Michel to secure her place in the middleweight semi-finals at Paris 2024.
Now guaranteed at least a bronze medal, Ngamba will box Panama’s Atheyna Bylon, a former World gold medallist, at Roland Garros on Thursday night for a place in the final.
Ngamba opened her tournament in Paris with a major upset victory, defeating Canada’s quality World gold medallist Tammara Thibeault in an outstanding bout before she overcame host nation boxer Michel at the quarterfinal stage in front of a lively French crowd.
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Cindy Ngamba outlined her inspirational story as she’ll represent the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in the boxing.
“I only heard the boos as I was walking to the ring. Straight after, I only listened to my coaches, myself and got the job done,” Ngamba said.
“People will not believe in you. For example, a lot of French fans didn’t believe in me.
“You have to keep on working hard, keep on believing in yourself. You can achieve whatever you put your mind to,” she continued.
“It means the world to me to be the first refugee team member to win a medal. I’m just human, like any other refugee. There are refugees all around the world.”
The Bolton-based middleweight has made headlines while securing a medal, but her progress has not come as a shock to many on the British boxing circuit.
Ngamba is a three-weight England Boxing national champion. She is supported by the GB set-up and trains with Lauren Price, the Tokyo Games middleweight gold medallist and current WBA welterweight world champion, among others.
Price is by no means the only world champion who has used Ngamba for sparring. Savannah Marshall, who went undisputed at super-middleweight, has as has former undisputed super-lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron and two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas.
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Cindy Ngamba describes her pride at being selected for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and discusses her experience of nearly being deported from the UK.
They have all done so for a reason. “She’s tough, she’s very skilful and I’ve seen the progress that she’s made from the first time she came in for sparring to recently when she came in,” Jonas told Sky Sports.
“She has developed, she has got better, her IQ’s up there and they’re all the things that you do learn on GB. To be the best in England or GB is totally different to being the best in the world, but you learn those skills on them squads and you learn by going to tournaments every other month – how to box internationally. Because it’s different and you can see she’s done that.”
Ngamba also has another vital additional ingredient for success. “Not only that, she’s confident in what she does,” Jonas explained.
“[Once] you had to give her a bit of a gee up, but now she knows how good she is. I think now she believes how good she is. We’d always seen it, she never quite believed it and now I think she does. She’s got the potential to be a real danger.”
Jonas became an Olympian in 2012, losing out to Katie Taylor in a thrilling quarter-final. She messaged Ngamba ahead of this tournament to tell her: “Just enjoy the moment.”
It’s a rare thing just to make it to an Olympics, let alone medal.
Jonas explained: “The focus is always the result, for obvious reasons, we are results driven. But at the same time, I didn’t really enjoy the moment.
Cindy Ngamba celebrates an epic win over the World champion
“One in so many million people get there and you’ve got to take that into account and remember, yes you’ve been striving towards this moment but don’t forget to enjoy that moment.
“The majority of the world is never going to experience that. Enjoy it, record it, talk about how you feel, take lots of pictures and enjoy the experience of actually being there. Because soon, and more quickly than not, it’s just a distant memory.”
That won’t detract from getting results though.
“At the time [of her Olympics] I was thinking the result, who have I got in the draw, how am I going to box and I just didn’t appreciate the fact of being there,” Jonas said.
“I’m not talking about losing your head. I’m talking about being focused, remembering your tactics and whatever you’ve worked on, but to stand there and take a moment, when you hear the crowd, when you walk in the Olympic village, when you’re meeting people to think: ‘Wow, I’m here. I’m proud of myself for being here.’
“Because it’s only now when I look back I think how boss that was.”