Ngamba beaten but takes refugee team's first medal

Cindy Ngamba was beaten successful her boxing semi-final but will still return from Paris 2024 pinch a historical bronze badge - nan first by an jock from nan Refugee Olympic Team.

Having already secured a badge by reaching nan past four, 25-year-old Ngamba, who lives successful nan UK and trains pinch nan GB squad, was beaten by Panama's Atheyna Bylon successful nan 75kg category.

Bylon, 35, was penalised a constituent for excessive holding successful nan last information of a tight bout earlier 1 judge gave Ngamba nan triumph and different sided pinch her opponent.

But nan 3 judges who had antecedently scored nan conflict moreover each yet sided pinch Bylon for a 4-1 triumph - a determination that was met pinch large boos astatine Roland Garros Arena.

"They voted for nan boxer who was incredibly antagonistic passim nan 3 rounds," BBC boxing master Steve Bunce said.

"Ngamba is surgery and upset. She knows she has done capable to win.

"Bylon picked up a informing and they still gave her nan verdict. I find that really, really odd."

Despite being visibly upset and disappointment by nan result, Ngamba's spot successful history remains assured arsenic nan first jock successful immoderate athletics to unafraid a badge while representing nan exile team.

She moved to nan UK aged 10 and is incapable to return to nan state of her birth, Cameroon, because of her sexuality - homosexuality is punishable pinch up to 5 years successful situation successful nan African country.

Aged 20, Ngamba was arrested, on pinch her relative Kennet, and sent from Manchester to a detention campy successful London and astatine consequence of being deported until being released a time later.

She lives successful Bolton, wherever she took up boxing aged 15, and has since graduated from Bolton University pinch a grade successful criminology.

She is yet to summation British citizenship, however, which prevented her from being portion of Team GB successful Paris.

She trains pinch nan squad successful Sheffield, took portion successful nan pre-Games photoshoot pinch nan British squad and had GB Boxing coaches successful her area against Bylon.

The exile squad was first introduced successful 2016 for nan Rio Olympics but did not triumph a badge successful Brazil aliases 5 years later successful Tokyo.

Their squad is made up of 37 athletes successful Paris crossed 12 sports pinch Ngamba 1 of nan flagbearers astatine nan opening ceremony.

Other athletes see runner Dominic Lobalu, cyclist Eyeru Gebru and Farzad Mansouri, who competes successful taekwondo.

Elsewhere successful Thursday's boxing, Hasanboy Dusmatov won golden for Uzbekistan successful nan men's 51kg class by beating location favourite Billal Bennama.

China's Yuan Chang besides took golden successful nan women's 54kg pinch triumph complete Turkey's Hatice Akbas.