Commonwealth Games End as Several Athletes Go Missing in Scotland
Authorities in Scotland are searching for several athletes who reportedly disappeared after the curtain fell on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Police Scotland said the athletes were reported missing as national teams began returning to their respective countries following the conclusion of the 11-day competition.
Among those unaccounted for are four Ugandan boxers—Angel Katushabe, Nuhu Batte, Ibrahim Khemis and Emily Nakalema—as well as Pakistan’s boxer, Qudratullah Khan.
The Ugandan athletes reportedly failed to travel home with the rest of their delegation, with local reports indicating that one of them had previously expressed a desire to seek asylum in Scotland.
Khan was last seen in his hotel room at about 2 a.m. before his team’s scheduled departure. He was absent when the Pakistani contingent assembled later that morning to leave the country.
Confirming the development, Police Scotland said officers have begun investigations while maintaining close contact with the UK 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 force said in a statement.
The latest incident mirrors similar occurrences at previous editions of the Commonwealth Games. In 2014, also in Glasgow, a number of athletes failed to return to their home countries after the event.
Four years later, during the Gold Coast Games in Australia, dozens of competitors from countries including Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Rwanda also remained behind, with several later seeking asylum or overstaying their visas.
As investigations continue, the whereabouts of the missing athletes remain unknown, with authorities yet to confirm whether they left voluntarily or under other circumstances.
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