Six cricket players vanish in Canada
Sep 14, 2009
SIX players from the U-19 national cricket team that has concluded participation in the ICC World Cup Qualifier have gone missing in Canada, the host country.
By Charles Mutebi
SIX players from the U-19 national cricket team that has concluded participation in the ICC World Cup Qualifier have gone missing in Canada, the host country.
The Uganda team, which narrowly missed out on a world cup ticket during the tournament that climaxed on Sunday, were scheduled to make their return trip from Canada today.
However, it looks like they might have to set off without Ahmed Yakoub, Emmanuel Nakaana, Geoffrey Nyero, Moses Okwera, Andrew Ochan and Ahmed Sangau –– the six players who went missing Saturday morning.
“We were informed by the team manager (Bashir Badu Ansasira) on Saturday that these players had run away,†said the sport’s governing body UCA publicist Latimer Mukasa yesterday.
“Badu said the last he had seen them was on Friday night, around 11.30pm. When he woke up the following morning, the players were gone.â€
Mukasa acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but urged calm until the actual details of the players’ whereabouts were established, saying “they could turn up at the last minuteâ€.
“At this moment, we don’t want to speculate about why they left. It could be all sorts of things - it is possible they (players) were up to some mischief and they’ll be found,†Mukasa added.
Mukasa also revealed that UCA chairman Dr. Kato Sebbaale will soon be in touch with the Canadian authorities to assist with the search.
Whatever the final outcome, this incident brings back memories of the disappearance of Jimmy Okello and Patrick Ochan from the senior national cricket team at the end of the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Darwin, Australia.
Ochan and Okello successfully applied for political asylum thereafter and they have remained in Australia since then, playing cricket with local clubs.
Already in Canada is a former national cricketer Henry Osinde. He was in the national team squad that was due to participate in the 2001 ICC World Cup Qualifier in Canada but was not selected.
Since he had already secured his visa, Osinde travelled later to Canada and stayed there.
Five years later, he made his international debut for Canada and the 30 year-old is in line to make a second appearance at the World Cup - in 2011.
However, Mukasa was not prepared to compare the latest case to the previous ones saying, “We just need to know first and foremost that the players are safeâ€.
SIX players from the U-19 national cricket team that has concluded participation in the ICC World Cup Qualifier have gone missing in Canada, the host country.
The Uganda team, which narrowly missed out on a world cup ticket during the tournament that climaxed on Sunday, were scheduled to make their return trip from Canada today.
However, it looks like they might have to set off without Ahmed Yakoub, Emmanuel Nakaana, Geoffrey Nyero, Moses Okwera, Andrew Ochan and Ahmed Sangau –– the six players who went missing Saturday morning.
“We were informed by the team manager (Bashir Badu Ansasira) on Saturday that these players had run away,†said the sport’s governing body UCA publicist Latimer Mukasa yesterday.
“Badu said the last he had seen them was on Friday night, around 11.30pm. When he woke up the following morning, the players were gone.â€
Mukasa acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but urged calm until the actual details of the players’ whereabouts were established, saying “they could turn up at the last minuteâ€.
“At this moment, we don’t want to speculate about why they left. It could be all sorts of things - it is possible they (players) were up to some mischief and they’ll be found,†Mukasa added.
Mukasa also revealed that UCA chairman Dr. Kato Sebbaale will soon be in touch with the Canadian authorities to assist with the search.
Whatever the final outcome, this incident brings back memories of the disappearance of Jimmy Okello and Patrick Ochan from the senior national cricket team at the end of the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Darwin, Australia.
Ochan and Okello successfully applied for political asylum thereafter and they have remained in Australia since then, playing cricket with local clubs.
Already in Canada is a former national cricketer Henry Osinde. He was in the national team squad that was due to participate in the 2001 ICC World Cup Qualifier in Canada but was not selected.
Since he had already secured his visa, Osinde travelled later to Canada and stayed there.
Five years later, he made his international debut for Canada and the 30 year-old is in line to make a second appearance at the World Cup - in 2011.
However, Mukasa was not prepared to compare the latest case to the previous ones saying, “We just need to know first and foremost that the players are safeâ€.