IOC

09 August 2024 – Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba earned a bronze medal following yesterday’s match against Atheyna Bibeichi Bylon despite defeat in the semi-final of the women’s boxing -75kg category.

As the first-ever Olympic medal for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (EOR), this represents a historic moment for a team that first competed at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. Ngamba put in an excellent performance against her Panamanian opponent, but ultimately the judges at the Philippe Chatrier sided with Bylon in a 4-1 decision. Having qualified for the semi-final, Ngamba had secured a bronze medal going into this match. The first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to qualify for Paris 2024, Ngamba was one of the team’s flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony.

Masomah Ali Zada, Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team, said after the match: “We are so proud of Cindy. Ever since she became a part of this team, she has represented us with grace and charisma. She will go down in history as the first ever member of the Refugee Olympic Team to win an Olympic medal – and no one can ever take that away from her.”

“She has demonstrated to the world what refugees can achieve; she has been an inspiration to a population of more than 120 million people and given light to our stories, our journeys. For that we are forever grateful.”

Masomah Ali Zada, Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team

Having qualified earlier this year, 25-year-old Ngamba was the first boxer to qualify for the Refugee Olympic Team. Based in the UK, she is well supported by the British Olympic Association and GB Boxing, and trains regularly with them at their training centre in Sheffield.

She eventually found a second family with the GB Boxing team and became a three-time English national champion. She then trained for the Paris 2024 Games alongside Team GB, supported by the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) and Olympic Solidarity through the Refugee Athlete Support Programme.

A symbol of hope for all displaced people

Ngamba’s win represents a historic achievement, an inspiration for refugee athletes and a strong symbol of hope for all displaced people worldwide. Appearing for the third consecutive Olympic Games, the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team is the largest yet, reflecting the growing number of refugees globally. In Paris, the team has represented more than 100 million displaced people globally.

The Refugee Olympic Team and the Refugee Athlete Support Programme allow elite-level athletes who would otherwise not have the opportunity to do so to compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage, the Olympic Games.

The ORF was established in 2017 and builds on this commitment in line with Recommendation 11 of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. In addition to supporting elite athletes in their participation in the Olympic Games, the ORF works to provide access to safe sport for people affected by displacement worldwide through partnerships and its programmes.