Boxer Cindy Ngamba said she was “just human like any other refugee” after making history by guaranteeing the Refugee Olympic Team a first Games medal.
The 25-year-old beat sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Davina Michel by unanimous decision on Sunday to reach the women’s 75kg semi-finals.
With both losing semi-finalists awarded bronze, the Cameroon-born fighter is assured of a medal at Paris 2024.
Ngamba moved to the UK aged 10, but cannot compete for Team GB because she does not have a British passport.
“It means the world to me to be the first ever refugee to win a medal,” she said. “I’m just a human, just like any other refugee and athlete all around the world.”
The Refugee Olympic Team first competed at Rio in 2016, but prior to this Games the team’s best results were two fifth-placed finishes in Tokyo through Hamoon Derafshipour in karate and Kimia Alizadeh in taekwondo.
Ngamba, who was the team’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony in Paris, next faces Atheyna Bylon of Panama on Thursday.
She added: “Hopefully in the next one, I will also get the job done. No, not hopefully. I will get it done.”
