Sunday, August 16, 2026

African athletes disappear, fail to return home after Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Police Scotland stated that it received reports of several athletes unaccounted for after the tournament.

• August 5, 2026
Ugandan boxers at Glasgow
Ugandan boxers at Glasgow (credit : The Times]

Several athletes who featured in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games have disappeared and are “unaccounted for” after the tournament.

Police Scotland, in a statement on Monday, disclosed it received reports of several athletes unaccounted for after the tournament.

“Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for,” the statement said. “Inquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”

According to NBS Sport, about five athletes, including four members of Uganda’s boxing team and one Pakistani boxer, have disappeared and are nowhere to be found after the competition.

The Ugandan boxers are Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis, and Emily Nakalema, while the missing Pakistani boxer is Qudratullah.

Meanwhile, athletes are expected to leave Scotland for their countries two days after the sporting event.

In 2014, some athletes disappeared after the Commonwealth Games, failing to return to their home countries, resorting to seeking asylum.

Philip Pariyo and one other Ugandan rugby player disappeared after the Games in 2014.

They were later found to be playing for a regional team in Scotland, while Cameroon weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet II, who disappeared after the 2014 Games, was later granted refugee status.

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