Thread: 3 International Fighters "Missing" In the US

THE LAST ROW: WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS

3 international fighters missing
Ugandans, Armenian disappear; luggage missing from hotel

Philip Adyaka of Uganda is among three World Boxing Championship competitors who have been reported missing. (Tribune photo by E. Jason Wambsgans / October 22, 2007)

By Shannon Ryan, Tribune staff reporter. Reporters Dan Blake and Kristen Kridel contributed
October 26, 2007
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Three fighters in town for the 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 discovered 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."

Bogere was scheduled to fight Thursday against Vazgen Safar-Yants, of Belarus, who will advance on a walkover.

Avagyan lost on Tuesday to Korea's Soon-Chul Han. Adyaka had a first-round bye and was set to fight Saturday.

Meanwhile, 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.

Uganda's team trainer, Richard Muhumuza, said there were no bodyguards and that as far as the team's other two fighters: "I'm not worried about them." He said the missing boxers told him that they were going to train at UIC but never showed up.

"Some of [their teammates] said they may have gone out of Chicago," said Muhumuza from the Palmer House Hilton.

Arnot said that police talked to the family of the Armenian boxer and they "showed no great concern," leading them to believe Avagyan is safe.

The issue of defection has arisen recently, with two Egyptian heavyweight boxers temporarily abandoning their team and the Cuban team not participating here.

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.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would not reveal whether its officials had been informed about the disappearance of the boxers, said spokesman Tim Counts.

The agency generally does not disclose information about ongoing investigations.

There are many types of visas, Counts said, but he did know which kind the boxers have. A narrow visa exists that can be issued specifically for the attendance at a particular event.

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sryan@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... b01_layout


Apparently they didn't get the memo, we don't need anymore illegal aliens wandering around Chicago or anywhere else in the US.

"It's possible they've taken the opportunity to be in the U.S.," Bond said.

Yeah, but it's more "possible" they have plans to join the other 20-30 million illegal immigrants currently taking advantage of our failure to actively enforce immigration laws.

Wonder what religion they are member of ?