Cameroon athletes 'go missing' at Commonwealth Games 2018: Police called as FIVE weightlifters 'desert' team

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Alexandra Richards11 April 2018

Five Cameroonian athletes have “deserted” their team at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, team officials have confirmed.

The athletes were discovered missing from their accommodation on Tuesday after they failed to show up when they were scheduled to compete.

Officials named the missing athletes as weightlifters Olivier Matam Matam, Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou and Petit Minkoumba, and boxers Christian Ndzie Tsoye and Simplice Fotsala.

The three weightlifters and two boxers were last seen at different times on Monday and Tuesday.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg said on Wednesday: "Right now we are worried about safety and welfare of the athletes and we are taking this very seriously and monitoring the situation with team Cameroon."

But he continued: “These athletes are guests here in Australia, they are still within their visas and they have the right to travel freely."

Before the games opened, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned athletes not to overstay their visas.

"Our message is the 0.5 percent of people who might think they can over stay a visa, or not act within the considerations of that visa, is that Australia has very tough laws and they need to abide by those laws," Mr Dutton said.

Press attache Simon Molombe told the BBC that officials viewed it as "desertion" and that the missing athletes had been reported to Australian police.

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