At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, all athletes and members of Sri Lanka’s national team had to hand in their passports to their own team boss after a judoka, a wrestler and a manager from the team went missing.
One wants to ensure that no other athletes or team members leave, said an employee of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports of the German Press Agency.
Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis in decades. The state is bankrupt and so indebted that it can no longer import enough fuel, gas for cooking, food and medicine. In view of this crisis, residents are increasingly moving abroad in search of work. With transfers of the money they have earned abroad, they can support their families at home financially. Some also try to get abroad illegally.
After the disappearance of the judoka, the wrestler and the team manager, the national team turned to the British police, the official at the Ministry of Sport said. And by now Judoka Chamila Dilani and the team manager would have found them. They are doing well, police said. There is still no trace of wrestler Sanith Chathuranga.
At the Commonwealth Games, the best athletes from Commonwealth countries compete against each other in various disciplines.