Despite Detention Camps, Visa Denials, 25-Year-Old Boxer Fighting for Paris Olympics 2024 Spot

Nearing the brink of the Paris Olympics 2024 commencement, athletes across all avenues have notched up their game like never before. This year, particularly heralding one of the advanced Olympic years in history, will see the Summer Games represent diversity and inclusivity. Besides the regular athletes making waves in the French capital will be the Olympic Refugee team walking hand in hand.

However, some potential refugee candidates are still on their journey to gain the recognition they deserve. Though it sounds unlikely for a nation like England, a 25-year-old Cameroonian boxer’s experience has brought several concealed things to light. Though the boxer desires to secure a place at the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Paris 2024, some quandaries can put a halt to her dreams.

Cameroon’s boxing queen’s uneven path to glory to Paris Olympics 2024

Hailing from Cameroon, boxing youngster Cindy Ngamba landed in the UK when she was 10. Since then, her dream to call herself a British citizen has been in the doldrums. In her 15-year-long life in the English capital, she still hasn’t managed to acquire a visa and a UK citizenship. The Paris Olympics 2024 will not allow any athlete without verifying their passport. This asserts that Ngamba can miss out on Paris, despite earning a refugee status. At 20, when she was going through a signing-on process, some officials arrested her and her brother Kennet for reasons unknown. But after being sent to a detention camp in London, some conversations affirmed that they were on the verge of being deported.

In a conversation with the BBC, she said, “Some were going to be sent back to their country the next day and I’m thinking ‘am I going to be sent back next?'”. Unable to go back to Cameroon because of her sexuality, Ngamba has cemented her status as a successful youngster. But behind her success is a scarred childhood that she can’t overlook.

Paris Olympics 2024 could have a strong-hearted soul

After migrating from Cameroon to the UK, the little girl of 10 faced adjustment issues in school. “Everything was different back at home compared to the UK so I kind of went into my shell”, she said, who found solace in boxing. 5 years later, she officially signed up with the Elite Boxing gym in Bolton. “I was a big girl, and I got bullied for my weight and my language, just the way I spoke with my accent. I was just very quiet and reserved”, Ngamba said.

Initially, her coaches limited her to skipping and cardio. But later, when she shifted to middleweight, she identified her penchant. Winning National Amateur titles brought her GB Boxing dreams in her proximity. But everything boils down to citizenship, which she doesn’t have. She has also trained with some big names like Lauren Price, Savannah Marshall, and Chantelle Cameron.

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