Several athletes have been reported “unaccounted for” after competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with some members of the Ugandan boxing team reportedly failing to board flights home.
Police Scotland said it was investigating reports involving a number of athletes after the Games ended on Sunday. The sports website NBS Sport reported that four members of Uganda’s boxing squad had not travelled back with the rest of their team, while one of the boxers allegedly told the website they planned to seek asylum in Scotland.
Pakistan Today also reported that boxer Qudrat Ullah had failed to join his team-mates on their flight to Pakistan. Officials reportedly searched his room but were unable to find him.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “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 four Ugandan boxers 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 missing athletes, who claimed the group wanted to apply for asylum and continue their boxing careers in a country they believed could offer better training facilities and opportunities than Uganda.
The boxer was also reported to have appealed to people in Uganda for understanding and asked not to be judged over the decision.
A Team Uganda spokesman told BBC Scotland News that the delegation had no comment. The rest of the Ugandan squad have since returned home.
Athletes were expected to leave Glasgow according to the Games’ length-of-stay policy. Their accommodation was due to remain available until two nights after the conclusion of their individual sport.
Glasgow 2026 spokeswoman Sophie Ashcroft said: “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.”
There have been similar incidents after previous Commonwealth Games, including the 2014 edition in Glasgow. Dozens of athletes went missing after those events, with some later claiming asylum and others disappearing without explanation.
Two Ugandan rugby players disappeared after the 2014 Games and were subsequently found playing for a small club in Cardiff. One of them, Philip Pariyo, was later sentenced to four and a half years in prison for raping a woman in Cardiff.
Cameroonian weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet II also disappeared after the 2014 Games in order to escape Cameroon. He finished fifth in Glasgow that year, but returned in 2026 to win a silver medal.
The Home Office is understood to conduct enhanced checks on individuals ahead of major sporting events, while working with organisers and event sponsors to strengthen controls over who is allowed to enter the UK for such competitions.
Any asylum applications made by athletes would be assessed individually, based on the circumstances of each case and the evidence available.
The Glasgow Games ended on Sunday after 11 days of competition. The event featured 10 sports across four venues and locations in the city, following the withdrawal of the original host, Victoria, which had placed the competition’s future in doubt.
Organisers said the streamlined format had “saved and reinvented” the Commonwealth Games.
