Scottish police are investigating reports that several athletes failed to return home after competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last Sunday, with some allegedly seeking asylum.
Athletes are required to leave within days of the Games ending.
Here’s the latest.
What happened
Local media has confirmed the missing athletes are from Uganda and Pakistan.
Ugandan outlet NBS Sport says four members of the country’s six-person boxing team didn’t show up for their scheduled flight home on Tuesday.
They are Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema.
One of the boxers told the outlet anonymously that he plans to seek asylum and asked Ugandans for understanding.
Team Uganda told the BBC it had no comment.
Pakistan Today also reports one boxer missed his flight, was last seen in his room at 2am, and was gone by the 9am team departure (local time).
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A Police Scotland spokesperson told TDA: “Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for.”
“Enquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”
Glasgow 2026 spokeswoman Sophie Ashcroft told TDA the organisers are working with Police Scotland, Border Force and UK Visas and Immigration “to ensure a safe and secure conclusion to the Games.”
Again?
It is not the first time athletes have sought to stay behind in a host nation after the Commonwealth Games.
More than 190 people sought asylum after the 2018 Gold Coast Games.
At Glasgow 2014, two Ugandan rugby players stayed on and later joined a Cardiff club.
Cameroonian weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet also left the Cameroon team and rebuilt his life in Britain.
He came back to Glasgow this year to win silver for England, 12 years on.
