6, August 2024
Cameroonian-born Ngamba guarantees refugee team first Olympic medal 0
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.”
From Cameroon to Britain – who is Ngamba?
Ngamba is unable to return to Cameroon because of her sexuality – with homosexuality in the country punishable with up to five years in prison.
However, after 15 years in England, she is still fighting to be granted a visa and UK citizenship.
Five years ago she was on the verge of being deported after attending what she thought was a routine signing-on process to let authorities know she was still in the country.
Ngamba was arrested, along with her brother Kennet, and sent from Manchester to a detention camp in London, before being released the following day.
Before Paris 2024, GB Boxing unsuccessfully tried to add Ngamba to their ranks for the Olympic programme, even writing a request to the Home Office to grant her citizenship.
She won a scholarship with the IOC refugee team, and is the first female boxer to represent the team at a Game.
Source: Capitalfm.co
9, August 2024
Football: Henry proud of ‘magical’ France side despite defeat in Olympic final 0
France coach Thierry Henry described his team’s Olympic performance as “magical” despite their agonising extra-time defeat against Spain in the men’s football final on Friday.
“I told the players they had done something magical and that I was so proud of them. In the end we have medals. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to but it was still really an extraordinary evening,” France legend Henry said after his side lost 5-3 in a classic match.
Enzo Millot gave France an early advantage at the Parc des Princes only for Spain to come back and lead 3-1 by half-time.
However, Maghnes Akliouche pulled one back and a last-gasp Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty made it 3-3 to force extra time, in which Sergio Camello scored twice for Spain to hand them gold.
“What is really important for me is that the team really fought. There really wasn’t much in it in the end, so we can’t say the team didn’t fight, from the first to the last minute of every game,” Henry said after France claimed silver, their first football medal since winning gold in 1984.
“I would have preferred to win, but we must still celebrate this. It is the first time in my life where I have lost a final but won a medal all the same,” added the former Arsenal and Barcelona star.
“That is what is great about the Olympics. It has been an extraordinary human adventure. This team have earned my respect for life.”
Source: AFP