Five Cameroon athletes missing from the Commonwealth Games
Five Cameroon athletes competing in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games have gone missing from the athletes village.
Weightlifter Olivier Matam Matam and boxers Christian Ndzie Tsoye and Simplice Fotsala went missing earlier this week.
There are reports of five Cameroonian athletes missing from the Commonwealth Games.
Photo: AAPWeightlifters Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou and Petit Minkoumba went missing on Tuesday, Cameroon press attache Simon Molombe told Fairfax Media.
Cameroon chef de mission Agbor Nso Victor reported the missing athletes to the Queensland Police Service, which was yet to provide a comment on the incident.
Mr Molombe said all the athletes had competed except for Tsoye, who had been due to fight in the boxing men's 91kg quarter-final on Tuesday.
New Zealand's David Nyika won the bout via a walkover, after Tsoye did not show up for the weigh-in.
"He [Tsoye] has to compete but he left before," Mr Molombe said.
"[We have] no other information, nobody knows where they went.
Petit Minkoumba somersaults after a lift during the 94kg weightlifting final at Sunday.
Photo: AP Photo"Nobody said anything, they did not give any condition, they just left.
"We imagine they went away wilfully."
Mr Molombe said the incident was very worrying.
"How can you go back without people you came here with?" he asked.
"It's very worrying, it's not good for the image of the country."
Team Cameroon manager Victor Agbor Nso also told media three Cameroonian athletes had gone missing, including a weightlifter and two boxers, the Journal du Cameroun reported.
"We have officially informed our hierarchy back home - the Ministry of Sports and the president of the National Olympic Committee of Cameroon," Mr Nso told Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV.
"We have also laid a formal complaint to the Australian police."
It is not the first time Cameroonian athletes have gone missing.
In 2012, seven athletes from Cameroon were reported missing from the London Olympic Games.
In 2006, more than 40 athletes and officials who participated in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne overstayed or sought asylum in Australia, including from the African countries of Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Cameroon weightlifters Francois Etoundi and Simplice Ribouem both received refugee status, and were in the 2018 Australian team.
Before the start of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned athletes would be monitored to ensure they did not go on the run or outstay visas.
A spokesman for the Australian Border Force said the federal government was working closely with the Games organising committee and international stakeholders to ensure officials and athletes were aware of their visa responsibilities.
"Like other visitors to Australia, Commonwealth Games visitors who hold a valid visa are free to enjoy their stay in Australia," he said.
"However, Commonwealth Games visitors who do not meet their visa requirements can expect to have their visas cancelled."
The spokesman said the department did not comment on individual cases.