Three Tunisian athletes have gone missing from their national delegation in separate incidents, according to officials. The disappearances have drawn attention to a recurring issue for Tunisian sports.
Missing Athletes Identified
Emad Bouzriba, president of the Tunisian Boules Federation, said that player Mohamed Amin Saidi disappeared two days ago during the delegation’s return trip. His absence was discovered at Rome airport before the plane bound for Tunisia took off. Bouzriba added that airport security authorities were informed as soon as the disappearance was noticed.
In a second incident, Reda Ayachi, head of the weightlifting delegation, announced that weightlifter Mohamed Amin Bouhajba went missing at Rome airport minutes before a flight to Brindisi, and from there to the city of Taranto.
These two cases are the second and third disappearances within the Tunisian delegation, following the earlier announcement that wrestler Shahd Jlajli had also gone missing.
Similar Cases in the Past
Tunisian sports delegations have seen similar cases in recent years. Among them was weightlifting champion Ghfran Belkhir, who left her country’s delegation at Oslo airport in Norway before later announcing her arrival in Germany.
Some Tunisian athletes in individual sports link such cases to the pursuit of better athletic and living opportunities abroad, amid complaints of weak support and financial incentives.