Questions are growing after four Ugandan boxers disappeared shortly after competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The athletes reportedly failed to return with the rest of the Ugandan delegation before their scheduled departure.
The development has prompted an immigration investigation, with UK authorities now working to establish what happened.
The missing athletes have been identified as Angel Katushabe, Nuhu Batte, Ibrahim Khemis and Emily Nakalema. They were among Uganda’s six-member boxing team at the games.
According to sports outlet NBS Sport, the four boxers did not rejoin their teammates before the delegation left on Tuesday.
One of the athletes, who spoke anonymously, reportedly admitted they planned to seek asylum in the United Kingdom.
The unnamed boxer said the decision was driven by hopes of building a better career with improved training facilities and greater opportunities. The athlete also appealed to Ugandans not to judge their choice.
Reacting to the incident, a Police Scotland spokesperson said, “Police Scotland has received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for.”
The spokesperson added, “Inquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, and early engagement is taking place with the Home Office.”
Commonwealth Games chief executive Phil Batty also addressed the situation. He said, “We’ve welcomed nearly 3,000 athletes to the city from 74 nations.”
Batty added, “We want to deliver a safe and secure games, so we work really closely with Police Scotland, the Border Force, and UK visas and immigration to make sure everyone arrives and departs in line with regulation.”
The Home Office is expected to review the case if any immigration rules are found to have been broken.
