IL-3 Boxers Missing in Chicago

[rayray]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-missing_boxeroct26,0,1421374.story?coll=chi_tab01_ layout

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.

[SeriouslySearching]

This is a strange story. Did they leave to return home? They aren't considered "missing persons" so what does LE consider them? Obviously, they have to use their passports in order to go home, so LE must have that covered.

I wonder if they have contacted Homeland Security. One can't rule out the possibility this could have other implications.

[diamondgirl]

This is a strange story. Did they leave to return home? They aren't considered "missing persons" so what does LE consider them? Obviously, they have to use their passports in order to go home, so LE must have that covered.

I wonder if they have contacted Homeland Security. One can't rule out the possibility this could have other implications.

I just can't believe these guys would train like they did, and have been given this opportunity would just up and leave. It's weird

[englishleigh]

I'm also wondering about the "other implications"....

[crash676]

Ok just curious but do people still "Defect" to America. Does anyone remember the Robin Williams Movie where the Olympic athletes decide to defect her? Maybe a possibilty?????

[hoppyfrog]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/missing.boxers.defection.2.413295.html

Oct 26, 2007

Three international boxers missing from the World Boxing Championships are believed to have left voluntarily, and are suspected of defecting to the United States.

As CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports, the boxers – one from Armenia and two from Uganda – were last seen more than a day ago at the Palmer House Hilton, where all the competitors have been staying.

They were identified as Phillip Adyaku, 25, and Sharif Bogere, 19, both of Uganda; and Vachagan Avagyan, 25, of Armenia. The athletes left their hotels with their luggage, and one of the young men's parents expressed no concern, which leaves organizers to believe he defected.

and

Edwards Akora was knocked out of the championships Friday by Frenchman Alexis Vastine, and will return home to Uganda. His tow missing teammates apparently will not.

"They plan to stay in the United States. Thats what I'm," Akora said.

He added that his teammates said they told him they plan to stay in the country. That has put Uganda's coaches, responsible for bringing their boxers home, in a tough spot.

"They rang me yesterday, I had a call from one," said Ugandan coach Musa Kent. "He told me 'don't worry.' He said 'I'm very sorry for going.' I said 'you shouldn't have done that.' He said 'I can't change it, I'm already gone."

and

A newspaper in Uganda is reporting Friday that their two boxers left Chicago in a car with tinted windows and drove all the way to Canada. It's unclear how and where they crossed the border. They apparently had tourist visas to enter the United States, good through the end of the year. So in this country, it appears, the only rules they've broken so far were their own teams'.

more at link

[PinkyPoo]

Exactly what I expected.....