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Police have revealed competitors and delegates from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cameroon, Ghana and Botswana went AWOL

A total of 17 athletes and delegates 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, according to BirminghamMail.

Five others are from the Sri Lankan squad and one is a delegate from Ghana. 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 force 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: BirminghamLive