Four members of Uganda’s Commonwealth Games boxing team have been reported missing in Scotland after the conclusion of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, prompting concern among Ugandan officials and Police Scotland.
The missing athletes have been identified as team captain Nuhu Batte, Ibrahim Khemis, Angel Katushabe and Emily Nakalema. The quartet failed to board their scheduled flight back to Uganda with the rest of the national delegation after the Games concluded.
Reports from several British media outlets indicate the athletes are believed to be seeking asylum in the United Kingdom in hopes of pursuing professional boxing careers and accessing better training opportunities. Anonymous statements attributed to the athletes also appealed for understanding from the Ugandan public, although no official asylum applications have been publicly confirmed.
Police Scotland confirmed that several athletes were unaccounted for following the Games and said enquiries are ongoing. Organisers are working alongside UK immigration authorities and the relevant sporting bodies as efforts continue to establish the whereabouts of the missing competitors.
Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports is also investigating the matter and is expected to issue an official statement. None of the four missing boxers progressed beyond the quarterfinal stage of the competition.
The incident is not without precedent. Ugandan athletes also disappeared during previous Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and on the Gold Coast in Australia in 2018, with some later seeking asylum and remaining overseas.
