CINDY NGAMBA is the Olympian who grew up in England and trains with Team GB – but will not represent them.
Ngamba left Cameroon for Britain aged 11 and has forged a successful path into boxing – reigning as a three-time English champion.
And despite training and travelling with Team GB – she instead represents the Olympic Refugee team.
She told iNews: “I feel I’m already part of Great Britain.
“I train with them, travel with them, compete with them, I just don’t represent them.”
Ngamba has lived in England for over half her life, where she also went to school and university while also having family in the UK.
It was ten years after uprooting with her brother and uncle to Britain – where her father lived – and eight attempts before she was granted papers to stay.
She was arrested in 2019 as she signed on at an immigration centre.
Ngamba, 26, said: “I was with my brother. We went there, to Manchester, every week but this time, we were arrested.”
They were sent to separate detention camps in London and spent two days there before the Home Office were satisfied they had family in the UK.
Prison would also be a threat if Ngamba was to return to Cameroon, where same-sex sexual activity is criminalised – she revealed she was gay to her family but STILL had to prove it to the Home Office.
She said: “You can be killed, beaten up or put in prison. I can’t go back.”
Ngamba received her asylum papers in 2020 and was already on track for a successful career in boxing.
She first started aged 14 in Bolton Lads and Girls Club which is part of the national OnSide network of youth zones but was the only female fighter.
Ngamba said: “I was the only girl. Going there meant the world to me.
“It gave me something to look forward to after school and kept me off the streets where I could have been dragged into something bad.”
Ngamba’s Olympic dream got the green light when she won sponsorship from the Olympic Refugee Federation.
She faces Tammara Thibeault of Canada in the first round of the middleweight bracket.
Ngamba trained alongside Team GB athletes at the national institute in Sheffield ahead of the Games.
And there is already hope she will finally win citizenship to join GB for the next Olympics in LA in 2028.
But Ngamba said: “I’m not really focused on my future at the moment, I’m focused on the present, on my medal, on winning.”
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Freestyle BMX world and European champ Kieran Reilly will be aiming to add the Olympic title to his collection (12.40pm).
Team GB’s men and women will both be in contention in the rowing quadruple sculls finals (11.25am).
BRITS TO WATCH
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix – daughter of First Dates star Fred – and Lois Toulson go in the 10m synchro diving final (10am).
In the hockey, Team GB’s women know a win against South Africa is vital after starting with defeats to Spain and Australia (9.30am).
Commonwealth bronze medallist Jemima Yeats-Brown begins her -70kg judo campaign, two years on from losing her sister Jenny to brain cancer (9.20am).
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
The all-star USA men’s basketball team, featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry, face Olympic debutants South Sudan (8pm).
The 100m men’s freestyle final could be a classic with Tokyo champ Caeleb Dressel, new 200m gold medallist David Popovici plus Brits Duncan Scott and Matthew Richards all in contention (9.15pm).
And Jessica Fox could win her second gold of Paris 2024 if she defends her C1 canoe slalom from three years ago (4.25pm).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
The beach volleyball is always spectacular viewing at any Olympics but this year even more so – because it is being played at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
There are matches all throughout the day from 8am to 9pm.
Click here for all the events taking place at Paris 2024 today.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
