Boxer Cindy Ngamba has been named as one of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team Flagbearers for the historic Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on the River Seine in Paris.

Ngamba was part of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Refugee Team at last year’s European Games in Kraków-Małopolska, and one of three members of the team who are part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024.

During today’s 142^nd IOC Session, it was announced Ngamba will be carrying the Olympic flag on behalf of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, together with taekwondo athlete Yahya Al-Ghotany, at the Opening Ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony on Friday (26 July) will provide a spectacular start to the Olympic Games, with this the first time it will be held outside a stadium as athletes parade in boats along the River Seine.

Ngamba is joined by taekwondo athletes Dina Pouryounes and Kasra Mehdipournejad from last year’s EOC Refugee Team in the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

The EOC Refugee Team was the first to take part at a Continental Association’s multi-sport event in Kraków-Małopolska last year, where Ngamba was also the flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony together with Mehdipournejad.

The inclusion of three members of the EOC Refugee Team in the IOC Refugee Olympic Team provides further evidence of the European Games providing athletes with a vital pathway to compete at the Olympic Games.

Ngamba was born in Cameroon and moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 11, where she continues to live and train. She is one of two refugee athlete scholarship holders who qualified for the Olympic Games. She reached the round of 16 in the women’s middleweight competition at Kraków-Małopolska 2023, losing 3-2 on a split decision to the eventual gold medallist Aoife O’Rourke.

Taekwondo athletes Mehdipournejad and Pouryounes both competed at the European Games for the EOC Refugee Team last year. Mehdipournejad was born in Iran and now lives in Germany, while Pouryounes was born in Iran and now lives in the Netherlands.

They are part of the 37-strong IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Paris, living in 15 countries and competing in 12 sports.

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