Several athletes who competed at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow remain unaccounted for after failing to return home with their national teams following the end of the tournament.
Police Scotland confirmed it is investigating reports involving multiple competitors whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Authorities are working alongside the UK Home Office to establish the circumstances surrounding the disappearances as athletes and officials depart the city.
Among those reported missing are four members of Uganda’s boxing team. Local media identified them as Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema. According to Ugandan outlet NBS Sport, the athletes did not board their scheduled flight home. The publication reported that one of the missing boxers had indicated the group intended to seek asylum in Scotland while pursuing professional boxing opportunities abroad.
The remaining members of Team Uganda have already returned home. Team officials declined to comment on the reported disappearances.
Pakistan has also reported a missing athlete. Boxer Qudratullah was absent when his national team prepared to leave Glasgow, with officials reportedly unable to locate him in his accommodation before the team’s departure.
Games organisers said they have been working closely with Police Scotland, Border Force and UK Visas & Immigration throughout the conclusion of the event. Athletes were expected to leave Games accommodation within the period set out under the Glasgow 2026 departure policy, which allowed competitors to remain for two nights after completing their events.
The incidents echo previous Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow in 2014, when several athletes failed to return to their home countries after the competition. Some later applied for asylum, while others remained in the UK without immediately informing authorities.
Among the most notable cases from 2014 were two Ugandan rugby players who later surfaced playing for an amateur club in Cardiff. One of them, Philip Pariyo, was subsequently convicted and imprisoned for rape. Another athlete, Cameroonian weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet II, remained in Britain after the Games and later rebuilt his sporting career, returning to the Commonwealth Games in 2026 to claim a silver medal.
The UK government is understood to carry out enhanced screening procedures ahead of major international sporting events, working with organisers to strengthen entry controls for athletes, officials and support staff. Any asylum applications submitted after the Games would be assessed individually based on the evidence and circumstances of each case.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games concluded on Sunday after 11 days of competition. Featuring 10 sports across four venues, the streamlined edition was introduced after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as the original host, with organisers describing the revised format as a successful effort to preserve the future of the event.