Chase is on for athletes

THE Australian Border Force has launched a special operation to find and remove Commonwealth Game athletes who have overstayed their visas.

More than 20 athletes, mostly from Cameroon, Uganda, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, are understood to have remained in Australia awaiting different refugee visas or in hiding.

Another group left the country after the expiry of their visas on Tuesday night, the Home Affairs Department said. Cameroonian weightlifter Olivier Matam confirmed he was in Melbourne but declined to comment.

Two Sierra Leone squash players, Ernest Jombla and Yusif Mansaray, are also understood to be among those who have remained in the country, although it is unclear if they or Mr Matam have received bridging visas.

Cameroon’s chef de mission, Victo Agbor Nso, had earlier told the BBC “the authorities are very disappointed with the deserters – some did not even compete”.