Police Scotland is investigating after several athletes failed to return home following the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with the Ugandan boxing team among those affected. The Games ended on Sunday, and officials said reports had been received of athletes who were “unaccounted for”.
The sports website NBS Sport said four members of Uganda’s boxing squad did not turn up for their scheduled flight home, while Pakistan Today reported that boxer Qudratullah did not rejoin his teammates and was not found in his room when officials searched for him. One Ugandan team official said the missing boxers had told the squad they would be coming back, before their phones were switched off.
Media reports in Uganda suggested the four Ugandan boxers may be seeking asylum in Scotland, although the team’s chef de mission, Godwin Kayangwe, said he had “totally no idea” why they had disappeared. He also said he hoped they would return home before their visas expire in October.
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 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.”
Kayangwe said the matter was now with the Ugandan high commission, which would liaise with the authorities in Scotland. He added that the athletes had been due to fly back to Uganda on Tuesday and that they had broken camp rules by leaving without permission.
“I don't know anything about why they decided not to fly home but I know they communicated with their team manager and said they would be coming back.
“But after that their phones went off, so they have definitely broken the camp rules because no athlete is supposed to leave without permission.
“Their visas are still valid until October so hopefully, probably, they will come back to their country.”
Asked why the athletes might be looking to seek asylum, Kayangwe said he did not know.
“I have totally no idea, absolutely no idea what type of asylum they would be seeking. It's nothing political, it's nothing to do with gender or something [like that] - I have absolutely no idea why they would be doing that.”
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 have the missing athletes been described by their team?
Kayangwe said he has no idea why the boxers disappeared and suspects they are “probably still in Glasgow or somewhere in Europe.” He said the four athletes had switched off their mobile phones after telling the team manager they would return.
“My message is pretty clear, observe the law and make sure the visa does not expire while you are still here. Come back to Uganda and and they can probably come back to Europe whenever they want,” he said.
He added that he hoped the boxers would make the “right decision” and return to Uganda. He said he did not know what kind of asylum they might be seeking and reiterated that the issue was not political.
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.
- The Ugandan team’s chef de mission, Godwin Kayangwe, said he had no idea why they disappeared and hoped they would return before their visas expire in October.
- 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.
