Several athletes have disappeared after competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, failing to return home with the rest of their teams. Police Scotland said it had received reports of various athletes “unaccounted for” in the aftermath of the Games, which concluded on Sunday.
The sports website NBS Sport said four members of the Ugandan boxing squad had not turned up to fly home, adding that one member of the team had told the website the athletes intended to seek asylum in Scotland.
Pakistan Today also reported that the boxer Qudratullah had not joined the rest of his team mates in flying home to Pakistan, and that he was not found in his room when officials went to search for him.
Following previous Commonwealth Games – including the 2014 edition also held in Glasgow – dozens of athletes went missing in the aftermath, either going on to claim asylum or simply disappearing entirely. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for.
“Inquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”
The four missing boxers in Uganda were named by local media as Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema.
NBS Sports said it had spoken to one of the four missing boxers, who claimed the athletes intended to seek asylum and continue their boxing careers in a country they believed offered better training facilities and opportunities than their homeland. The boxer was said to have appealed to Ugandans for understanding and asked not to be judged for the decision.
A spokesman for Team Uganda at the Games told BBC Scotland News the team had no comment to make.
The rest of the Uganda squad have since departed for their home country.
Athletes were expected to leave the Games in line with the Glasgow 2026 length of stay policy, with Games accommodation ending two nights after each athlete’s sport had concluded.
Glasgow 2026 spokeswoman Sophie Ashcroft said: “Over the last two weeks, we have welcomed 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth to Glasgow.
“As athletes and support staff leave the city, we continue to work closely with wider partners – including Police Scotland, Border Force and UK Visas & Immigration – to ensure a safe and secure conclusion to the Games.”
In 2014 two Ugandan rugby players disappeared after the contest ended and were later found playing rugby in Cardiff for a small team.
One of the players, Philip Pariyo, was later jailed for four and a half years after raping a woman in Cardiff.
Another athlete – weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet II – also disappeared after the 2014 games to escape Cameroon.
At those games he finished fifth, but his return in 2026 saw him win a silver medal.
The Home Office is understood to carry out enhanced checks on people ahead of major sporting events such as the Games, while working with event sponsors to strengthen controls on who can enter the UK for such events.
Any future asylum claims would be considered on their individual merits, with applications against the facts of the case and available evidence.
The Games wrapped up on Sunday after 11 days of competition.
Organisers said the streamlined format, which featured 10 sports across four locations in Glasgow, had “saved and reinvented” the competition after its future was placed in doubt when original hosts Victoria pulled out.
By BBC News
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
