Three fighters in town for the AIBA World Boxing Championships have disappeared, but officials said Thursday that foul play was not suspected and that they are not considered “missing persons.”
Armenian Vachagan Avagyan, 25, was reported missing Wednesday around 11:40 p.m. Ugandan boxers Philip Adyaka, 25, and Sharif Bogere, 19, were reported as absent from their teams Thursday around 10 a.m.
The athletes could not be found at the team hotel, and their luggage was gone. All three have been reported missing to police.
While “Philip Adyaka” is how the one fighter registered with the Amateur International Boxing Association, his first name has appeared as “Phillip” and his last name “Adyak” in various news reports.
Boxing officials said they were told by police that the boxers were not being treated as missing persons.
“Some of them have been in phone contact with those that are nearest to them,” Chicago police spokesman John Mirabelli told The Associated Press. “It appears they left voluntarily.”
Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the boxers were believed to have tourist visas.
“It’s possible they’ve taken the opportunity to be in the U.S.,” Bond said.
Boxing officials said teams, not the AIBA are responsible for overseeing their athletes.
According to Africa News, Ugandan amateur boxing President Roger Ddungu had World Boxing Championship organizers supply bodyguards for Uganda’s four national boxers. Doug Arnot, senior adviser for World Sport Chicago, said that the organization did not.
Officials downplayed any lasting impact the situation could have on future World Boxing Championships or Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.
“With nearly 700 athletes it’s not all that terribly unlikely,” Arnot said.
