Four members of Uganda’s boxing squad have failed to return home with the rest of the national team following the conclusion of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, sparking concern among sports officials and prompting investigations by UK authorities.
The athletes — Nuhu Batte, Angel Katushabe, Ibrahim Kemis and Emily Nakalema — did not report for the team’s scheduled departure on Tuesday, August 4. Local sports outlet NBS Sport first reported their absence, naming the four as the missing boxers from Uganda’s six-member contingent.
One of the athletes, speaking on condition of anonymity to NBS Sport, said the group intended to seek asylum in Scotland. The boxer cited a desire to continue their careers in an environment offering superior training facilities and greater opportunities than those available in Uganda. The athlete also appealed to Ugandans for understanding and asked not to be judged for the decision.
Police Scotland confirmed it has received reports of several athletes who are “unaccounted for” in the aftermath of the Games, which ended on Sunday, August 2. A spokesperson said inquiries are ongoing to assess the circumstances, with early engagement taking place with the UK Home Office.
The remaining members of Team Uganda have since departed for home. A spokesman for the Ugandan contingent told BBC Scotland the team had no comment on the matter.
This is not the first time Ugandan athletes have gone missing after a Commonwealth Games. At least six competitors failed to return after the 2018 Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. In 2014, when Glasgow last hosted the event, two Ugandan rugby sevens players, Benon Kizza and Philip Pariyo, also disappeared. They later surfaced playing club rugby in Cardiff, Wales.
Games organisers said athletes were expected to leave in line with the Glasgow 2026 length-of-stay policy, under which accommodation ended two nights after each athlete’s sport concluded. A Glasgow 2026 spokeswoman stated that the organising committee continues to work closely with Police Scotland, Border Force and UK Visas & Immigration to ensure a safe and secure conclusion to the event.
The Ministry of Education and Sports is expected to issue a formal statement on the situation. Officials at Uganda Bombers, the national boxing team, have confirmed the athletes are missing and efforts are underway to establish their whereabouts.
Performance-wise, Katushabe, Batte and Nakalema reached the quarter-finals before exiting the competition, while Kemis was eliminated in the preliminary rounds. The two boxers who returned home, Alfred Ojok and Aziz Abdul, also exited at the quarter-final stage.
As UK authorities continue their inquiries and Ugandan sports administrators seek clarity, the incident has once again highlighted the recurring challenges faced by some athletes from developing nations when competing at major international events.