Athletes From Uganda, Pakistan Missing After Commonwealth Games

Scottish police are investigating reports that several foreign athletes failed to return home after competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, raising fresh concerns over athletes disappearing following major international sporting events.

Police Scotland confirmed on Tuesday that it had received reports of multiple athletes who are currently unaccounted for after the Games concluded last Sunday.

“Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for,” a police spokesperson said.

“Enquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”

According to Ugandan broadcaster NBS Sport, four members of Uganda’s six-person boxing team did not join the rest of the delegation on its scheduled flight home on Tuesday. One of the missing boxers reportedly told the broadcaster that he intends to seek asylum in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Pakistan Today reported that one member of the country’s boxing team also failed to board the team’s return flight, though authorities have not officially identified the athlete.

The Commonwealth Games, held over 11 days in Glasgow, brought together around 3,000 athletes representing 74 nations and territories.

Incidents involving athletes remaining in host countries after the Games are not unprecedented. Similar cases have been reported at previous editions of the Commonwealth Games, particularly those hosted in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Following the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, authorities were searching for around 50 athletes and officials who had not returned home even a month after the event concluded. Australian officials also reported that nearly 190 participants had applied for asylum after those Games.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of athletes currently missing from the Glasgow Games or whether any formal asylum applications have been lodged. Investigations remain ongoing as Scottish police work alongside UK immigration authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding the disappearances.

(with inputs from Reuters)