Athletes disappear after Commonwealth Games closing

On August 4, 2026, Scotland's Police received reports of athletes who did not return home after the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Glasgow. Among the missing are four members of Uganda's boxing team and the boxer Qudratullah from Pakistan.

Reports of missing athletes

Police said they received several reports of athletes "not located" shortly after the competition, which ended on Sunday. Investigations are ongoing to understand the circumstances of each case, with early contact with the Home Office.

Ugandan boxers missed the flight

Four boxers from the Ugandan delegation failed to show up for the return flight. They were identified by local media as Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema. According to a sports website, one of the athletes said the group intended to seek asylum in Scotland to continue their careers in a country that offers better training facilities.

Pakistani boxer not found

The case of Qudratullah from Pakistan was reported by another news outlet, which stated that the athlete did not board the flight with his teammates back to Pakistan and that his absence was discovered when officials looked for him in his accommodation.

Background of disappearances in previous editions

Athlete disappearances are not unprecedented. In the 2014 edition, also held in Glasgow, two Ugandan rugby players vanished and were later found playing in Cardiff. One of them, Philip Pariyo, was later sentenced to four and a half years in prison for rape. In addition, Cameroonian weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet II disappeared after the same games to seek asylum.

Security measures and immigration control

The Games' organizer, represented by Sophie Ashcroft, highlighted that in the final two weeks about 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories were received. She added that authorities continue to work together with Police Scotland, the Border Force and UK Visas & Immigration to ensure a safe and controlled closing of the event. The Home Office conducts enhanced checks on people arriving in the UK for major sporting events, assessing any asylum requests should they be made.

With information from BBC Sport.