By advancing to the semifinals in her weight category at the 2024 Olympic Games, Cindy Ngamba became the first representative of the Refugee Olympic Team to secure a medal. Who are the other athletes competing under the Olympic flag in Paris?

The Refugee Olympic Team represents over 100 million people worldwide who have had to flee their countries of origin. Created by the International Olympic Committee, the team competes for the third time at the Games. Its lineup in Paris includes 36 athletes from 11 countries, including Cindy Ngamba, who lives and trains in the UK.

Cindy Ngamba, 25, was born in Cameroon. Her family moved to England in 2009. As a homosexual, she is not allowed to return to Cameroon, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by imprisonment. GB Boxing has supported Ngamba's citizenship application to the UK Home Office for years, but it has yet to be granted.

The athlete grew up in England and won several national titles in boxing. However, she could not represent Great Britain at the Paris Games because she was denied citizenship. Instead, she became a member of the Refugee Olympic Team and carried its flag during the opening ceremony. The team's flag features the Olympic rings on a white background.

IOC President Thomas Bach addressed the Refugee Team Olympians during the announcement of its composition in May 2024. He emphasised, "We welcome all of you with open arms. You are an enrichment to our Olympic community and to our societies." He added that their participation in the Olympics "will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world." Bach also noted, "At the same time, you will make billions of people around the world aware of the magnitude of the refugee crisis."

Source: olympics.com, theguardian.com