Missing Olympic Athletes Still MIA: 7 Cameroon Olympians Still At Large

Seven missing Olympic athletes have, as we reported earlier this week, created a bit of mystery in Olympic Village, as many wonder why the Cameroon sport stars have taken off and when or if they plan to return.

The missing Olympic athletes were confirmed to be MIA on Monday by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, and the seven include five boxers, one swimmer, and a backup goalie for the Cameroon soccer team. Five days ago, David Ojong confirmed that the missing Olympic athletes had disappeared, saying:

“What began as rumor has finally turned out to be true. Seven Cameroonian athletes who participated at the 2012 London Olympic Games have disappeared from the Olympic Village.”

The seven missing Olympic athletes are identified as Drusille Ngako, Paul Ekane Edingue, Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli, Blaise Yepmou Mendouo, and Serge Ambomo. And while their reasons for ostensibly absconding from Olympic Village — some having taken all personal belongings along with them — are not explicitly known, it is theorized that economic conditions in Cameroon have inspired the missing Olympic athletes to seek greener pastures elsewhere in Europe before they would be expected to return to their home country.

Aka Amuam Joseph of the Cameroon Olympic delegation says he believes the seven missing Olympic athletes became disillusioned with the limited opportunities for people of their caliber of talent back in their country of origin, inspiring them to take off:

“Back home, they aren’t giving the proper training. They know if they are well trained, they could beat the person from another country… It pains them to be here and see people beat them, who they can beat if they are well taken care of.”

As of now, the whereabouts of the missing Olympic athletes are not known.