There's a high chance that I'd be in danger if I go to Saudi

The big interview Cindy Ngamba The LGBTQ+ Olympic medallist makes her pro debut on an all-female card this week but is disappointed by the Saudi stranglehold on her sport

- Donald McRae

I'm still deciding my nickname," Cindy Ngamba says with a languid grin as she prepares for her debut as a professional fighter at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday night. Ngamba, who won the first Olympic medal in history for the Refugee Team at the Paris Games last year, is a sparkling personality and a boxer of vast potential, so it does not take her long to reveal her current favourite.

"On my gumshield it says 'One in 100 Million' so that's a nickname I like," Ngamba says. "It's linked to the Refugee Team because I am just one in a 100 million refugees from around the world."

The 26-year-old, who cannot return to her home country of Cameroon because she is gay, laughs as I try a ring announcer's introduction of Cindy "One in a 100 Million" Ngamba! "I like it. I might use it because we are special and it's the only nickname I've thought about so far. I'm taking my time but you've got to make it relatable to you."

Some commentators have suggested that, at her best, Ngamba resembles a female version of the young Tommy Hearns with her gangly frame and hard-hitting power. She will be even more suited to the pro game and looks a future star.

Asked to describe her anticipation before fighting the European welterweight champion Kirstie Bavington, Ngamba says: "I'm excited for this new journey. Once I step in the pro ring everything will be different."

She understands that moving into professional boxing is akin to entering shark-filled waters.

"Without doubt. Before I went to the Olympics last year I was told this by my teammates [at GB Boxing where she still trains in Sheffield]. Olympians like Karriss Artingstall, Lauren Price, Galal Yafai, Frazer Clarke and Joshua Buatsi warned me. Everyone knows what professional boxing is like.