GLASCO: Qudratullah, a boxer from Quetta, has gone missing in Glasgow following the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.
While the rest of the Pakistani boxing team departed for home, sources confirm he did not board the return flight.
The Pakistan Boxing Federation President, Colonel (Retd) Nasir Tong, stated he was unaware of the disappearance, though sources verify that Qudratullah chose not to return.
This incident follows a similar occurrence during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England, where two other Pakistani boxers also went missing, reflecting a recurring trend of Pakistani athletes vanishing during international events.
The trend of Pakistani sportsmen slipping away during international tours in Europe—such as boxers vanishing in the UK and Italy, or athletes disappearing during university and youth games in Germany and Norway—has become a persistent embarrassment for the nation’s sports boards.
This recurring phenomenon is primarily fueled by severe economic instability, high inflation, and a glaring lack of financial security or career prospects for athletes at home.
Many represent Pakistan while facing deep financial distress, earning meager sums or nothing at all.
Consequently, international tours are frequently viewed as rare windows of opportunity to escape economic hardship and seek asylum or better livelihoods in Europe.
Compounding the crisis is widespread systemic mismanagement and administrative negligence within Pakistan’s sports federations.
Lax oversight, nepotism in selections, and allegations of human smuggling rings exploiting sports delegations have turned routine international fixtures into high-risk exit strategies.
While sports bodies often respond with reactive inquiries or temporary bans, curbing this trend requires structural economic reforms, transparent selections, and guaranteed financial backing to give athletes a future worth staying for.
