KARACHI (Karachi English): Pakistan boxer Qudratullah Khan went missing away in Glasgow after competing at the Commonwealth Games.
The Quetta-born boxer did not join the national squad that was scheduled to return home on Sunday following the conclusion of the Games.
“Yes, he has gone missing,” a Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) source told media.
“It is unfortunate, but his department will now handle the matter. We selected him purely on merit, and he is a capable boxer.”
According to officials, Khan was not found in his hotel room when the squad prepared to depart, although his luggage and other personal belongings remained there.
The incident left the team management faced with an awkward situation.
It is not the first time a Pakistani sportsman has disappeared during an overseas sporting event.
Pakistan boxers also went missing after 2022 Games
Pakistani boxers Suleman Baloch and Nazirullah Khan also went missing after the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
A month earlier, Pakistan leading swimmer Faizan Akbar disappeared in Hungary ahead of the FINA World Championships.
In March 2024, Lyari-born boxer Zohaib Rasheed, then Pakistan’s Asian bronze medalist, left his hotel in Italy before an Olympic qualifying event for the Paris Games. Rasheed later said financial difficulties had prompted his decision.
The latest incident has renewed concerns among sports administrators over athletes disappearing during international tours.
Pakistan is set to send a contingent to Japan for the Asian Games next month and Qudratullah’s disappearance is expected to increase scrutiny of the players, sports authorities and team management.
