Five athletes vanish in Scotland after Commonwealth Games
Five boxers from Uganda and Pakistan have been reported missing in Scotland after the Commonwealth Games, with indications they may seek asylum to pursue better opportunities abroad.
While members of Team Nigeria have begun arriving home following their successful outing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the same cannot be said of Uganda, where four members of the country’s boxing team have reportedly gone missing in Scotland. The Ugandan athletes are among five boxers reported missing after the Games, with Pakistani boxer Qudrat Ullah also unaccounted for, prompting investigations by Police Scotland and the involvement of UK immigration authorities.
The missing Ugandan boxers are Angel Katushabe, Nuhu Batte, Ibrahim Khemis and Emily Nakalema, who were part of a six-member boxing squad. Uganda ended its Glasgow 2026 campaign without winning a medal. According to Pulse Sports Uganda, the four Ugandan athletes failed to join the rest of their country’s delegation for the scheduled return journey after the Games concluded on Sunday.
A source claiming to be one of the missing boxers said the group intended to seek asylum to pursue better boxing opportunities and gain access to improved training facilities abroad. However, the claims remain unverified, with Ugandan authorities yet to confirm either the athletes’ whereabouts or their intentions. Pakistani boxer Qudrat Ullah was last seen in his hotel room several hours before the team’s scheduled departure, while his passport and return ticket were reportedly still with the team manager. Police Scotland confirmed it had received reports of several athletes who are unaccounted for.
The incident is not the first involving Ugandan athletes at an international sporting event. According to STV, several Ugandan athletes failed to return home after the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. The pattern suggests that the lure of better opportunities abroad is stronger than the pull of returning home.
The winners: the missing boxers, if they successfully secure asylum and better opportunities. The losers: Ugandan and Pakistani boxing, which lose talent; and the Commonwealth Games organisers, who face questions about athlete security.
Bottom Line: Five athletes have disappeared in Scotland. The promise of a better life abroad is powerful. The question is whether they will find what they are seeking or find themselves in a worse position.