Several athletes have reportedly gone missing after competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, failing to return home with the rest of their teams. The Games concluded on Sunday, and Police Scotland said it had received reports of various athletes who were “unaccounted for”.
The sports website NBS Sport, external said four members of the Ugandan boxing squad did not turn up to fly home, and added that one team member had told the website the athletes intended to seek asylum in Scotland. Pakistan Today also reported, external that boxer Qudratullah did not join the rest of his teammates 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.
What did police say?
Police Scotland said inquiries were under way to assess the circumstances and that early engagement was taking place with the Home Office.
“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.
Angel Katushabe (red) competed in the recent Games in Glasgow.
How did previous Games end for missing athletes?
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.
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 the event had welcomed 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth to Glasgow over the last two weeks.
“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.”
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.
How did the Games conclude?
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.
Related coverage from BBC Scotland includes an athlete running past the scene of a fatal knife attack during training, withdrawals by Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Dina Asher-Smith and Matt Hudson-Smith, Team Wales’ medal ambitions, and the Glasgow 2026 daily schedule.
Key Facts
- Police Scotland said it had received reports of several athletes who were unaccounted for after the Games ended on Sunday.
- Local media named four missing Ugandan boxers as Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema.
- NBS Sport said one member of the Ugandan team claimed the athletes intended to seek asylum in Scotland.
- Pakistan Today reported that boxer Qudratullah did not return with his team and was not found in his room.
- Organisers said the Games welcomed 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories over 11 days of competition.
