ABC7Chicago.com, IL
Oct 27 2007
Three boxers remain missing
Ugandan coach says missing fighters want to box in America
By Ben Bradley
October 26, 2007 (CHICAGO) – Three athletes in town for the World
Boxing Championships appear to have skipped town. The three have not
been heard from in more than a day.
Uganda was fielding a fighter but missing two men from its squad for
Friday afternoon’s bouts at the UIC Pavilion. Boxers Phillip Adyaka
and Sharif Bogere last checked in with their teams at 10 a.m.
Thursday. There is also a 25-year-old fighter from the Armenian team
who hasn’t been in touch with his coach in nearly two days.
The Armenian and Ugandans all took part in the procession that
welcomed the boxers to Chicago at the beginning of the week, but
their teammates suspect the missing men thought about their plans
long before they arrived in the United States. The Ugandan coach said
he talked to the two missing from his team. They told him they
decided to take a swing at boxing careers in the United States.
"They went to make a living. Everybody wants to come to America. When
we are leaving our country we are told to bring them back. We have a
problem. We have to explain in Kampala why they go," Musa Kent,
Ugandan coach.
Chicago 2016 Chairman Patrick Ryan said he doesn’t think the
athletes’ disappearance looks bad because "it’s such a small
percentage of the total." Ryan says, with 700 athletes in town, each
with a mind of his own, it is possible to have some decide to do
their own thing.
"These are adults, they’re staying in a hotel. They have free access
to move around," said Ryan.
In Rio, during last summer’s Pan Am Games a couple of Cuban athletes
skipped town during the competition. At least one who declared his
intent to defect was deported right back to Havana.
Pat Ryan says it is impossible for a host city to control the actions
of every athlete.
"I don’t think we have any responsibility on that. Certainly we wish
they hadn’t done that," said Ryan.
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