University of Bolton graduate and refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba guaranteed a medal after Olympic fight win

University of Bolton graduate Cindy Ngamba has guaranteed herself an Olympic medal after victory against France’s Davina Michel in their 75kg boxing quarter-final.

Cindy, aged 25, was born in Cameroon and came to Bolton in 2009, where she went to school, studied at Bolton College and then the University.

A member of the refugee Olympic team, she is guaranteed at least a bronze medal after the weekend win. She faces Panama’s Atheyna Bylonin the semi-finals on Thursday for a shot at Silver.

Cindy, who trains at the Elite gym in Bolton, could secure the first ever medal for the IOC’s refugee team which first took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She has won national titles, but has been unable to represent Great Britain at Paris because she has been denied citizenship.

Instead, she is representing the IOC’s refugee team and was their flagbearer at the opening ceremony.

Cindy said after her victory: “It means the world to me, to be the first ever refugee to win a medal. I’m just a human, just like any other refugee, athlete and refugee all around the world. But I hope I can change the medal on my next fight.”

She is unable to return to Cameroon because she is homosexual, which remains a criminal offence in the country.

GB Boxing has supported her citizenship application to the Home Office to no avail.