The Refugee Olympic Team has won its first ever medal thanks to Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba, making history and etching her name in the Olympic books. The Cameroonian boxer, who lives in the United Kingdom, beat the host Davina Michel to win bronze in the 75KG category. As well as being the first refugee Olympian to win a medal, she was the flag bearer for the refugee team at the Olympic ceremony across the Seine.

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Ngamba was born in Cameroon but moved to the UK at the age of 10, lives in Bolton and has studied criminology. The boxer trains with the Great Britain boxing team but is unable to compete with them as she does not have a passport and has even come close to being deported on occasion.

Her involvement with the Refugee Team is not because of a war like other members of the team. Her reason is because she is homosexual and cannot return to her country, as homosexuality is forbidden there and she would be imprisoned.

So far, the best they have achieved from the refugee team, which was first created in Rio in 2016, has been two fifth-place finishes in Tokyo in karate and taekwondo. Ngamba has made history and can continue to do so, as she still has a chance to go one step higher on the podium if she defeats Panama’s Atheyna Bylon.