Several athletes, including four members of the Ugandan boxing team, have reportedly failed to return home after competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Ugandan sports website NBS Sport said four members of the nation’s boxing squad had gone missing in Scotland and had not rejoined the rest of the delegation before the team’s scheduled return to Uganda.
The Pakistan Today newspaper also reported boxer Qudrat Ullah did not return home with the Pakistani team.
Scottish police are investigating the reports after the games finished last Sunday, local time.
“Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for,” a spokesperson said.
“Enquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”
‘No idea what type of asylum’
Uganda’s chef de mission, Godwin Kayangwe, said he hoped the missing athletes would return before their visas expire in October.
“I don’t know anything about why they decided not to fly home, but I know they communicated with their team manager and said they would be coming back,” Mr Kayangwe said in an interview with BBC Scotland.
“But after that their phones went off, so they have definitely broken the camp rules because no athlete is supposed to leave without permission.
“I have totally no idea, absolutely no idea what type of asylum they would be seeking. It’s nothing political, it’s nothing to do with gender or something [like that]. I have absolutely no idea why they would be doing that.”
NBS Sport identified the missing Ugandan athletes as two men and two women: Angel Katushabe, Nuhu Batte, Ibrahim Khemis and Emily Nakalema.
Team Uganda during the athletes parade at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. (Reuters: Hannah Mckay)
There have been numerous cases of athletes seeking asylum following previous Commonwealth Games, including 2018 on the Gold Coast and 2014, also in Glasgow.
In March, five Iranian football players were granted asylum in Australia after competing in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, after they escaped from their handlers.
Three of the players returned to Iran, while two remained and were eventually granted Australian citizenship.
Glasgow 2026 chief executive Phil Batty said the games were working with the police.
“We want to deliver a safe and secure games, so we work really closely with Police Scotland, the Border Force, and UK visas and immigration to make sure everyone arrives and departs in line with regulation,” Mr Batty said.
Some 3,000 athletes from 74 nations attended the 11 days of the Glasgow Games.
Discussion about this post