Glasgow, United Kingdom. Police Scotland is investigating reports that several foreign athletes, identified by media as boxers from Uganda and Pakistan, did not return home after the Commonwealth Games ended in Glasgow last Sunday.
A police spokesperson said inquiries were under way and the force had begun engaging with the Home Office.
Police inquiry
“Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“Enquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”
Reports from Uganda and Pakistan
Uganda’s NBS Sport reported that four members of the country’s six-person boxing team went missing before the team was scheduled to return home on Tuesday.
One of the boxers told the broadcaster that they planned to seek asylum.
Pakistan Today reported that one Pakistani boxer also failed to appear for a flight home on Tuesday.
Previous cases
Reports of athletes failing to return home after Commonwealth Games have been common at recent editions hosted in Australia or Britain since Glasgow 2014.
After the 2018 Gold Coast Games in Australia, authorities were seeking 50 athletes and officials who remained missing a month after the competition ended, while another 190 had sought asylum.
About 3,000 athletes from 74 nations took part in the 11-day Glasgow Games.
