Out boxer Cindy Ngamba wins historic Olympic medal for refugee team

A version of this article first appeared on Out.

Cindy Ngamba just made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics!

Ngamba, a boxer originally from Cameroon, won the bronze medal in the women's 75kg division, making her the first member of the Refugee Olympic team to win any medal.

Ngamba left Cameroon because of that country's criminalization of same-sex activity and LGBTQ+ identities, and moved to the U.K. 14 years ago.

Unfortunately, she has been denied British citizenship multiple times, and so was unable to box for the country she has called home for over a decade. Thankfully, the Olympic Refugee team has space for athletes like her.

Ngamba, who was also the Refugee team's flagbearer, lost her semifinal match to Atheyna Bylon of Panama. Both boxers who lose in the semifinals are awarded bronze medals.

According to Outsports, Ngamba's final fight was a controversial one, with her losing a split decision after "matching her punch-for-punch in a first round unanimously awarded to Bylon by the judges."

NBC broadcaster Mikaela Mayer argued that Ngamba should've been awarded the victory.

"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," she 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."

Still, Ngamba should be immensely proud of her historic accomplishment!