In a major move to support refugee athletes, Nike has announced a partnership with Cameroonian boxer Cindy Ngamba, a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team set to compete in the 2024 Paris Games.
Cindy Ngamba, who left Cameroon at age 11 and now trains in the UK, has won the British national boxing championship three times and also coaches young athletes. “Being refugee athletes, we are like any other athlete. The only difference is that we have a different paper or different citizenship,” said Cindy. “The moment I realised boxing can change my life was when I first stepped inside a boxing ring. I felt overwhelmed and at the same time excited; that was the moment when I realised I was made for this.”
Nike’s partnership with Cindy builds on the brand’s long standing collaboration with the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) to empower displaced individuals through sport. This includes providing athletic kits for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and supporting the ORF’s Terrains d’Avenir program in Paris, which focuses on increasing girls’ access to sports.
“Globally, girls face complex cultural and social barriers and, as a result, are moving the least. Girls enter sport later and drop out earlier—at twice the rate of boys. Our support of the Olympic Refuge Foundation aims to change that for displaced girls. With a shared belief that all kids should have access to play, we’re committed to removing barriers by providing displaced girls in Paris with strong, caring mentors and coaches who can empower them with a lifetime of confidence”, says Vanessa Garcia-Brito, Nike’s Chief Social & Community Impact Officer.
Nike will also provide kit for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and the Refugee Athlete Scholarship Programme managed by the ORF, which supports 63 refugee athletes in 13 sports.
