| Cindy Ngamba | |
| National Team: | Refugee Olympic Team |
| Birth Date: | 7 September 1998 |
| Birth Place: | Douala, Cameroon |
| Weight: | Middleweight |
| Sport: | Boxing |
| Club: | Bolton |
Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba (born 7 September 1998)[1] is a Cameroonian boxer who competed for the EOC Refugee Team at the 2023 European Games. She is the first-ever medalist for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympics, having won bronze in women's 75 kg boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[2] [3] [4]
Ngamba was born in Cameroon.[5] At the age of 11, Ngamba moved to the United Kingdom.[5] Her uncle lost Ngamba's immigration paperwork when he moved back to Cameroon.[6] Ngamba has since gained a BA (Hons) degree in Crime and Criminal Justice at the University of Bolton.[7]
In 2019,[6] Ngamba and her brother were detained whilst attending an immigration office in Bolton, and sent to a detention centre in London.[7] [8] They were released the following day.[7] Aged 18, Ngamba came out as lesbian; as such, she does not want to return to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal.[5]
Ngamba trains with GB Boxing, although she cannot compete for Great Britain as she does not have a British passport.[5] She has won British National Amateur Championships in three different weight categories, making her the first woman to achieve the feat since Natasha Jonas.[7] [5] In 2023, Ngamba won a Bocskai event in Hungary,[8] and competed in the under 75kg event[9] for the EOC Refugee Team at the 2023 European Games.[5]
She competed for the Refugee Olympic Team in the 2024 World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 1[7] and qualified for the Summer Olympics in Paris, alongside her British colleague Chantelle Reid.[10] On 2 May 2024, Ngamba was officially named in the Refugee Olympic Team making her the first boxer to be selected for the team.[11] She was also chosen as one of the Refugee Olympic Team flag-bearers for the opening ceremony alongside Syrian Taekwondo athlete Yahya Al-Ghotany.[12] [13]
Ngamba was drawn to fight 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships gold medalist Tammara Thibeault from Canada in the first round[14] [15] and won by 3:2 split decision.[16] [17] She defeated 2022 World Championship bronze medalist Davina Michel of France via unanimous decision in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics to guarantee herself at least a bronze medal and in the process becoming the first person to win an Olympic medal for the Refugee Olympic Team.[18] [19] [20] She fought Atheyna Bylon from Panama in the semi-finals and lost by 4:1 split decision, therefore taking a bronze medal.[3] [4]