A wrestler from Sri Lanka who was one of three people said to have vanished from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is still missing. Police have subsequently spoken to two of the three judo team members who vanished on Monday, but their comrade has not been located. Yoda Pedige Shanith Chathuranga reportedly fled the athlete’s village on Thursday, according to the nation’s Olympic organization.
A male in his 20s is wanted, according to the police. The police found the other two, who had also abruptly left the village: judoka Marappulige Chamila Dilani and judo official Tikiri Hannadige Duminda Asela De Silva. Marappulige was defeated by Wales’ Ashleigh Barnikel in the first round of her match earlier on Monday. According to a team spokeswoman, all three of them have visas that are still valid for six months, therefore it is “impossible to come to any precise conclusions” about the causes of their disappearance. According to them, their athletes have now turned over their passports and other valuables to the administrators of their various sports disciplines for safekeeping. It is not the first time that athletes have gone missing during a significant international sporting event.
A few African competitors went missing from the 2018 Australian Games, while 26 athletes went missing from the Manchester Games in 2002. In 2011, the entire Senegal football team vanished from their hotel in France, and 21 players and coaches disappeared during the London 2012 Olympics.
