Paris: She faced jail if she returned home, was bullied at school for her poor English and weight, refused citizenship in her new homeland and is now the first athlete competing as a refugee to clinch an Olympic medal.
Cindy Ngamba, who has won bronze medallist in the boxing women’s 75kg, was on Friday billed as the feel-good story her adopted country, Britain, and her sport needed. The only problem was that she’s mostly been oblivious to it all.
Cindy Ngamba has become the first person to win a medal while competing with the Olympic refugee team. Credit: Getty Images
The 25-year-old, who sought safe haven in Britain aged 11, was beaten by Panama’s seventh seed Atheyna Bylon by split decision in the semi-finals of the women’s 75kg category. That denied her a place in Saturday’s final, but boxing hands out bronze medals for losing semi-finalists.
Ngamba, who lives and trains in Bolton, north of Manchester, was asked for her views on anti-migrant riots that have swept the UK. Her response? She’s stayed off social media since the start of these Games and has missed it all.
“What I can say is that the UK has been very, very welcoming ever since the day I came from Cameroon,” Ngamba tells this masthead. “I went to school, to college, university. I was able to create a career for myself.”
“Being a refugee to me means a life-changing opportunity. A lot of refugees out there all around the world have so many potentials, but they don’t have the doors open for them yet. I hope I can be a light for them.”
Ngamba took up boxing in the UK at age 15, where she rose through the age-group ranks to become a world-class prospect. Coming out as a lesbian at 18, she is unable to return to Cameroon because of her sexuality – a crime in the notoriously homophobic African country, which is punishable with up to five years in prison. But after 15 years in England, she is still fighting to be granted 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. She 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, GB Boxing unsuccessfully tried to add Ngamba to their ranks for the Olympic program, even writing a request to the Home Office to grant her citizenship.
“I hope maybe I fight for GB (Great Britain) one day. But GB boxing welcomed me with open arms. It’s like a big family. I see, you know, the GB boxing family more than I see my family,” Ngamba, who has a degree in criminology from Bolton University, said.
Ngamba reacts after losing to Panama’s Atheyna Bylon in their women’s 75kg semi-final boxing match at Roland Garros. Credit: AP
She won an Olympic qualifier in Italy in March to secure a quota spot and was named the first female boxer to represent the team at a Games. The team, 37 athletes competing for the team in Paris from more than a dozen countries, first competed at the Rio 2016 Games and is designed to represent forcibly displaced people worldwide.
As she has navigated the rounds, beating Tammara Thibeault of Canada by a split decision and then France’s Davina Michel, Ngamba has repeatedly spotlighted the plight of refugees.
Under the roof at Roland Garros centre court on Thursday, the passionate 15,000-strong French crowd sensed the history of the moment and started chanting her name. “CINDY! CINDY! CINDY!” they yelled, and many rose to their feet in recognition of her success.
Ngamba was inconsolable after the loss, walking past the media zone where athletes are normally obliged to stop for interviews.
“I usually block everything out and just listen to my corner, but I did hear a bit of it.,” she said. “I was disappointed, but now I am so grateful.”
“I’m like any other athlete out there in any sport. You know, you aim for the highest one, which is the gold, but you have to look at the bright side, I have a medal, and people out there in other sports don’t have a medal.”
