ON THE ROON
Eight athletes from African nation go AWOL from Games village
CAMEROON officials say they are “very embarrassed” after eight of their Commonwealth Games team went missing from the athletes village.
The African nation was yesterday flying the remainder of their team home after the disappearance of the five boxers and three weightlifters.
“They just left in the night,” Cameroon press attaché Simon Molombe said. “When we got up in the morning, they were not there. It’s very, very disappointing and very, very embarrassing.”
Cameroon media are speculating that the athletes may have been inspired by weightlifter Francois Etoundi, who successfully sought asylum in Australia after the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Nine Cameroonians were among 45 foreign athletes who fled or sought asylum in Australia after the Melbourne Games.
BICEP-BUSTING Aussie weightlifter Francois Etoundi may have inspired eight Cameroon athletes, including a soldier, to do a runner from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Cameroon was yesterday flying most of its remaining athletes home in an emergency evacuation after a third of its team disappeared.
Five boxers and three weightlifters are missing after making a stealthy after-dark departure from the Athletes’ Village at Southport.
Admitting they were “very, very embarrassed”, Cameroon officials alerted police after five boxers and three weightlifters disappeared from the Athletes’ Village in three waves, starting on the weekend. Population: 23,439,189 GDP per person: US $1,033 Poverty rate: 24%
Cameroon media are speculating that the athletes may have been inspired by Etoundi, a Cameroonian weightlifter who successfully sought asylum in Australia after the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Etoundi ripped his bicep on his way to winning a bronze medal for Australia at Population: 24,127,159 GDP per person: US $49,928 Poverty rate: 0.3%
the Games this week, and then promptly hit the Surfers Paradise nightclub strip to celebrate.
Tsoye, 28, failed to show for his 91kg quarter final bout on Tuesday after disappearing with boxing team-mate Simplice Fotsala, a 28-yearold Rio Olympian, and weightlifter Olivier Matam Matam, 25. Weightlifters Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou, 30, and Petit Minkoumba, 29, and boxers Arsene Fokou Fosso, 34, and Ulrich Yombo, 25, and Christelle Ndiang, 29, followed the other Cameroonians out of the village.
“They just left in the night,” Cameroon press attaché Simon Molombe said.
“When we got up in the morning, they were not there. It’s very, very disappointing and very, very embarrassing for Cameroon.”
Mr Molombe said the eight athletes had given no indication they were planning to flee.
“If they had, we would have prevented them from leaving,” he said.
Nine Cameroonians were among 45 foreign athletes who fled or sought asylum in Australia after the Melbourne Games.
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie said overseas athletes in Australia for major sporting events disappeared “all the time” and the Cameroonians had not yet breached their visas.
“It happens at every Games and it’s not a surprise,” Mr Beattie said.
“In terms of the athletes, I just simply say enjoy Australia while you’re here, stay within the law and be mindful of the fact that there is a system in place in this country.
“We would appreciate them sticking within the law, enjoying themselves but sticking within the law. If they are thinking of doing anything other than that, I would encourage them not to do it.”