Commonwealth Games 2022: More Sri Lankan athletes reportedly go missing from Birmingham

Bengaluru, August 8: There seems to be no end in sight for crisis-torn Sri Lanka's Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 contingent in Birmingham as 10 members have reportedly gone missing in a suspected attempt to remain in Britain.

Nine athletes and a manager vanished after completing their events, a top sports official from the island nation told AFP news agency on conditions of anonymity.

Three of them -- judoka Chamila Dilani, her manager Asela de Silva, and wrestler Shanith Chathuranga -- had disappeared last week.

That had prompted a police probe by the Sri Lankan officials.

Commonwealth Games: Police begin probe as Sri Lankan athletes and officials reportedly go missing

"Since then, another seven have vanished," the official said, without identifying them.

"We suspect they want to remain in the UK, possibly to get employment."

The 161-strong Sri Lankan contingent's management possessed the passports of all members to ensure they returned home. That failed to deter some from leaving.

British police located the first three that disappeared, but as they had not violated local laws and held visas valid for six months, no action was taken, the Sri Lankan official added.

"In fact, the police got us to return the passports that we were holding as a deterrent against defections," the official said.

"The police have not told us about their whereabouts."

Sri Lankan athletes have been reported missing from international events in the past.

In October last year, Sri Lanka's wrestling manager abandoned his team and isappeared in Oslo during a world championship tournament.

During the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, two Sri Lankan athletes made a run for it and were not found.

And in 2004, when Sri Lanka did not even have a national handball team, a 23-member group pretending to represent the country conned their way to a tournament in Germany and disappeared.

Sri Lanka, which is facing a huge economic and political crisis, had picked a 161-member contingent, including 51 officials, for the Games which concludes on Monday (August 8).

The CWG Federation and Sri Lanka Cricket has funded the athletes' participation at Birmingham 2022.