2 Burundi athletes missing

By Baek Byung-yeul

Two Burundi athletes competing at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade have gone missing, the Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC) said Tuesday.

The central African country had dispatched Emery Barutwanayo, a male athlete competing in taekwondo, and Emmanuellique Niyongere, a female track and field athlete, but the GUOC confirmed Barutwanayo, who was scheduled to compete in taekwondo at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, did not show up for the event.

“We have confirmed that the two Brundi athletes did not return to the athletes’ village yesterday,” GUOC Press Secretary You Ji-hyun said during a press briefing at the media center in the Kimdaejung Convention Center in western Gwangju, Tuesday.

“We have had difficulty locating the two athletes because their whereabouts cannot be officially traced. All foreign athletes are legal to stay here with an AD (Accreditation) Card issued by the GUOC. Their visa will expire on July 29.

“It is not uncommon for foreign athletes competing at international sport events to disappear from the event place. At this moment, it is hard for us to track down their whereabouts as they don’t own cellular phones,” the official said, adding the police will carry out stops and searches at highway tolls and train stations.

The two athletes were accompanied by an official from their country and the official reported them missing to the GUOC Sunday afternoon.