Pakistani and Ugandan Athletes Go Missing After Arriving in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games

Several athletes from Uganda and Pakistan have gone missing after failing to return to their respective countries after participating in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Police Scotland are investigating to find the ‘runaway’ athletes. According to media reports, all of the missing athletes are members of the boxing team.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said on Tuesday, ‘Police have received reports of a number of athletes being missing. Necessary enquiries are ongoing and the Home Office is being liaised with them.’

Ugandan media outlet NBS Sports reported that four members of their six-member boxing team went missing before their scheduled flight home. One of the missing athletes told the outlet that they were planning to seek political asylum in the UK.

On the other hand, a report in ‘Pakistan Today’ said that not a single Pakistani boxer showed up for the scheduled flight back home on Tuesday.

The last few Commonwealth Games have seen a spate of athlete escapes, particularly in the UK and Australia. In 2018, nearly 50 athletes and officials were still missing a month after the Gold Coast Games in Australia, and another 190 had applied for political asylum.

It is worth noting that approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 countries participated in this year’s Glasgow Games, which were held over 11 days.