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Kenyan athlete goes missing in Australia after borrowing Sh10k


Australian authorities are hoping Kenyan boxer Brian Agina will be traced after officials reported his disappearance from the Commonwealth Games’ Athletes’ Village here Monday morning.

Agina went missing as Kenya’s boxing team prepared to fly back after the end of the two week games.

The rest of the boxers flew out of Gold Coast on Monday morning.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to Australia Isaiah Kabira said they were hoping the boxer would be found before they can press the panic button.

“Efforts are still being made to contact him and I hope and trust that he is safe,” Kabira said.

“As soon as we get further information, we shall contact you,” he added.

HEAD OF DELEGATION

Barnabas Korir, the head of Kenya’s delegation here, said they only realised the boxer was missing on Monday morning.

“When I got the information this morning, I reported to the police at the Athletes’ Village,” Korir said.

“We have his passport, his air ticket and luggage.

“The police have promised to call me later and I will wait for their direction.”

Korir noted that he and other Kenyan officials have spoken to Agina’s friends and coaches but have been unable to get any leads.

“The most important thing we want to know is that he is safe. He was at the games closing ceremony last night (Sunday night) and no one noticed anything strange. No one visited him during the games and he also has no mobile phone, that’s why police are worried,” he added.

Boxing Association of Kenya President John Kameta, who is here, said he was still holding onto Agina’s passport.

“Agina asked (fellow boxer Benson) Gicharu for $100 yesterday and said he would pay (it) back. It will be so disappointing if he flees in this manner because his coach and the federation have spent a lot of time and resources to develop his boxing career,” Kameta said.

BRONZE MEDAL

At the Commonwealth Games competition here, Agina lost in the preliminaries of the 52kg category to Pakistan’s Syed Muhammad Asif at the Oxenford Studios.

Of the 11 Kenyan boxers, only one – Christine Ongare – made it to the medals bracket, winning a bronze medal.

Last week, eight Cameroon athletes disappeared from the games village and are still at large.

The five boxers and three weightlifters failed to show up for their respective competitions.