Out LGBTQ boxer Cindy Ngamba etched her name into Olympic history at Roland Garros Thursday by claiming a bronze medal in the women’s 75kg division, becoming the first member of the Refugee Olympic team to win a medal.
Ngamba became an inspirational figure over the course of her time in Paris, becoming the first Olympic Refugee team member to qualify for the Olympic boxing competition after multiple attempts to apply for British citizenship were denied despite the backing of her sport’s national governing body, GB Boxing, and the fact that she has called Britain home for the last 14 years. Ngamba fled Cameroon due to the criminalization of LGBTQ identities by the nation’s government.
The Olympic Refugee team Opening Ceremony flagbearer’s accomplishment didn’t come without some judging controversy. Ngamba’s semifinal opponent, three-time Olympian Atheyna Bylon of Panama, won the fight by split decision despite Ngamba matching her punch-for-punch in a first round unanimously awarded to Bylon by the judges and Bylon having a point deducted for continually holding Ngamba throughout the fight.
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Gay boxer Cindy Ngamba clinches historic first medal for Refugee Olympic Team
Cindy Ngamba is LGBTQ and fled persecution from her native Cameroon. She is now guaranteed at least a bronze medal.
By Ken Schultz | August 5, 2024
In Olympic boxing, both semifinal losers are awarded a bronze medal because of the grueling nature of the sport.
NBC broadcaster and boxer Mikaela Mayer put it best after Bylon was announced as the winner.
“Just the wrong decision in my eyes. Those type of mistakes, in the judges’ hands, in my opinion, are life-changing. There’s no going back. There’s no reversing that decision, but it was the wrong decision,” Mayer said. “It just makes the judging so confusing, so hard to understand that, even with a point deduction and no clear round of victory, you can still get the win.”
Regardless of the result, Ngamba’s medal-worthy performance represents much more than just her top-tier ability to throw punches for the refugee and LGBTQ populations (and where they intersect) that watched her showcase her skills on a global stage. With her first Olympics in the books, the Paris Games surely won’t be the 25-year-old’s last, and perhaps she’ll be able to box as part of Team Great Britain at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
