Cindy Ngamba has been forced to pull out of her professional boxing debut, which was scheduled for Friday night at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Royal Albert Hall is set to host a major all-female boxing event organized by Boxxer. The event includes two world title fights, a European title fight, and a match to decide the first-ever British female featherweight champion.
There was significant anticipation for Ngamba’s debut as she is known for winning a medal for the Refugee Olympic Team last summer. However, it was announced today, Thursday, that Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon, cannot compete. A ‘pre-fight medical examination revealed a health concern that needs further investigation.’
Ngamba was expected to face a challenging opponent in her first professional fight: Kirtsie Bavington, the current EBU European welterweight champion with a record of 9 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws, and 2 knockouts. Promoter Ben Shalom highly regards Ngamba, demonstrated by his quick decision to sign her with Boxxer, a promoter known for supporting women’s boxing.
Kirtsie Bavington expressed her disappointment on Instagram, stating, “Absolutely devastated with the news. Hopefully, we can reschedule soon. Wishing Cindy a speedy recovery.”
Ngamba was born in Douala and moved to the UK at the age of 11. She is unable to return to Cameroon because she is a lesbian, and homosexuality is illegal there.
Despite the challenges with her homeland, Ngamba, now 26, found a welcoming environment in the United Kingdom. She excelled in amateur boxing, even without British citizenship preventing her from representing Great Britain.
Ngamba became a national amateur champion in three different weight classes. She represented the Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making history by winning a bronze medal in the 75kg weight division.
