Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba believes she has had to “work harder” than others to pursue her dreams of one day competing for Team GB at the Olympics.
Born in Cameroon, the 24-year-old fought for refugee status for years and has talked about her pain of going through detention camps before earning a right to stay in the country.
Ngamba, who trains with GB Boxing, will go to the European Games this week in Krakow as part of the Fair Chance refugee team, but is hoping to fight in the vest of Team GB in the near future.
She came to the UK aged 11 and was threatened with a return to Cameroon but believes she has had to fight harder to get to where she is competing now.
“Some people have to work harder than others because others have it the hard way,” Ngamba, who will fight for the 66kg crown at the third edition of the European Games, told the PA news agency.
“That’s not me saying those that have the easy way don’t work hard, but my life, I feel I had to overcome a lot of obstacles which makes me who I am.
“When I was an immigrant, one time, me and my brother were arrested and got sent to a detention camp in London; just like that we did not know what was happening, you feel helpless and think you will be getting sent back to the country you came from.
“Every little thing that has happened in my life since coming to the UK, I see it in a good way because if it didn’t happen I would not be where I am right now.”
Ngamba was fearful of a return to Cameroon due to her LGBTQ+ sexuality, as homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and can be punished with up to five years in prison.
She continued: “It was dangerous for me to go back with my sexuality.
“When I was applying for my papers, I could have used my sexuality and come out but I stayed in the closet.
“I come from an African country where they are strict and the mindset is very different. During my cases, I tried to use my boxing, me going to school or college but the Home Office did not want to hear any of it.
“I came out at 18 and my solicitor did a background check on my country and saw you could get put in prison or get killed and with me being gay, I could not get sent back.”
Ngamba has proven her boxing credentials after becoming the first person since Natasha Jonas to win at three National Amateur Championship weight divisions.
Once she obtains a British passport, she will be eligible to become a fully-funded member of the GB boxing squad, and potentially represent Team GB at future Olympic Games and she feels at home with the GB boxing team.
“Team GB have always been in my corner, I feel I am a part of Team GB – but paper wise, I am not,” she said.
“They are the ones that I spend my time with all the time so they are my family, from the boxers, the coaches, the ones that work in the office, I believe that me qualifying, I will be part of Team GB.
“That’s not me saying I don’t want to represent the refugee team but I feel part of GB Boxing and they are doing their best to make me feel a part of that, which I love very much.”
'I believe I won' - Fury loses historic undisputed championship to Usyk
Tyson Fury voiced his frustration after suffering the first defeat of his career to Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed world heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, and the first to unite all four belts.
The scorecards read 115-112 and 114-113 in favour of Usyk, while a third judge scored 114-113 to Fury.
After an even start, the momentum shifted in a brilliant ninth round for the Ukrainian as he caught Fury with a left hook, forcing the referee to give him a standing count before the bell saved him from a further onslaught.
A defiant Fury was not happy with the result, suggesting that Usyk received a sympathy vote from the judges.
"I believe I won that fight," he said in the ring. "I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority.
"His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion.
"It was one of the daftest decisions in boxing. We run it back in October. I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses."
Usyk remained undefeated as he took Fury’s WBC belt to add to his WBA, WBO and IBF collection.
"Thank you so much for my team. It's a big opportunity for my family, for my country," an emotional Usyk said afterwards. "I'm very happy.
"My people will be very happy. I think it's a big win, not only for me, it's a big win for my country, for soldiers who now defend my country.
"I think my father now is watching over me and is very happy. Dad, I love you. I can, you told me I can."
Olympic hopeful Tamarri Lindo faces deportation to Jamaica amidst Olympic dreams
Tamarri Lindo, a standout track athlete from York University in Canada, finds himself grappling with the looming threat of deportation just as his Olympic aspirations reach a critical juncture. Despite his impressive athletic achievements, including a recent bronze medal in the 60-metre hurdles for York University at the national collegiate championships, Lindo's dreams of representing Canada at the upcoming Olympics are in peril.
Tamarri's journey to Canada began in 2019 when he and his family fled Jamaica due to alleged threats and violence linked to his father George Lindo's political activism against gang influence in support of the opposition party. Tamarri, who has excelled both academically and athletically, earned a Ca.$2,500 scholarship after catching the eye of scouts while in high school.
"My goal was to make the 2024 Paris Olympics. But now, it feels like everything is being taken away," Lindo lamented in an emotional interview with CTV National News. "I feel like I could have a mental health breakdown. My heart is sinking."
Despite providing evidence of threats and violence faced in Jamaica, the Lindo family's asylum claims have been denied multiple times by Canadian immigration officials. The most recent pre-removal risk assessment, conducted in March 2023, upheld previous decisions, prompting the Canada Border Services Agency to issue a deportation order scheduled for next week.
Immigration lawyer Aidan Simardone, advocating for the Lindo family, has filed for a judicial review as their final recourse to remain in Canada. He condemned the decision, highlighting the potential danger awaiting the Lindos if forced to return to Jamaica.
"The fact that they are doing this is unconscionable," Simardone asserted. "It goes against our Canadian values of providing people their fair opportunities and protection to those in danger in other countries."
For Tamarri, who hoped his athletic achievements would bolster his family's case for residency, the uncertainty looms heavily. As he faces the imminent threat of deportation, he remains hopeful for a successful appeal while continuing to train and pursue his athletic goals amidst the uncertainty that surrounds his family's future in Canada.
As the legal battle unfolds, supporters have rallied behind the Lindo family, advocating for a reconsideration of their case and hoping for a resolution that allows them to remain in Canada and for Tamarri to pursue his Olympic dreams.
John Fury appears to headbutt member of Team Usyk ahead of undisputed bout
Tyson Fury's father John Fury was left with a nasty cut on his face after appearing to headbutt a member of Oleksandr Usyk's entourage at a pre-fight media day on Monday.
WBC belt-holder Fury will face Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with both men defending undefeated professional records.
With both fighters and their camps present at a hotel in the city for media duties on Monday, the build-up to their bout – the most eagerly anticipated in the heavyweight division in recent years – got off to a chaotic start.
Fury's father was pictured with blood running down his forehead after becoming involved in an altercation with a man wearing a Team Usyk tracksuit.
Widely shared footage on social media appeared to show him headbutting the man, who then had to be restrained by other members of Usyk's entourage.
It was later reported that the Saudi Arabian authorities were aware of the incident but did not plan to take any action.
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