A Ghanaian is among a total of 17 athletes and delegates who have been reported missing since the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, police have revealed.
The number included 13 competitors and four others who were part of the
individual teams.
Nine of the 17 missing people have been found while eight remain unaccounted
for. Of the missing eight, two are said to be Pakistani boxers aged 22 and 25,
named in media reports as Suleman Baloch and Nazeer Ullah Khan.
Five others are from the Sri Lankan squad and one is a delegate from Ghana.
Ghana presented a 126-member contingent of athletes and coaches for the Games.
Police said a dozen members of the Sri Lankan team went missing, of which seven
have now been found.
A competitor from Botswana and an athlete from Cameroon also went missing but
both have also been found. Police are working with immigration officials to
ensure the welfare and safety of all those who have been located.
A spokesperson, said: “We’ve received a total of 17 missing people reports from
visiting Commonwealth Games delegations – 13 competitors and four other
delegation members. Of those, nine have since been found and eight remain outstanding.
"We’re making enquiries alongside immigration officials to ensure they are
safe and well.”
Previously, Sri Lankan team spokesperson Gobinath Sivarajah said some of the
missing athletes also serve in the country's armed forces. They include a male
judo manager, a female judo athlete, two male wrestlers, three boxers, two male
beach volleyball players and a female wrestler.
The Sri Lankan contingent consisted of 161 athletes, including 51 officials,
who were granted 180-day visas by the government. The remaining team returned
home on Wednesday (August 10).
Source: graphic.com.gh