Two Paralympic athletes representing the Republic of Congo went missing after competing at this year's Paris Games.
Shot putter Mireille Nganga and visually impaired sprinter Emmanuelle Grace Mouambako were last seen at the athletes' village in Saint-Denis on September 5 but were reported missing by members of the Congolese delegation two days later.
According to French authorities, French authorities at the Bobigny prosecutor's office opened an investigation on September 7 into the disappearance of Nganga, Muambako and Muambako's sighted guide, Sharon Victor Lusanga. The newspaper “Le Monde”.
Nganga, who has a leg disability, and Moambako, who is visually impaired, were the only two players selected to represent Congo in Paris.
Nganga served as his country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony on August 31, entering the Stade de France with the Congolese flag attached to his wheelchair.
On September 4, the three athletes returned to the stadium for their respective competitions.
Nganga competed in the sitting shot put and javelin but was unable to set any records.
Muang Bakhtiar finished fourth in the fourth heat of the first round of the men's 100m T11 event, failing to qualify for the next round.
The three did not attend the closing ceremony at the Stade de France on September 8th.
Three athletes' suitcases were also missing from the athletes' village, but their passports were in the custody of a member of the country's Paralympic team, the Associated Press reported, citing sources.
Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of a voluntary disappearance or flight, but are also looking into “potentially disturbing elements of the incident,” the media reported.
Rwandan Paralympic volleyball player Claudine Bazbagira went missing after going out to dinner in the western Paris suburb of Courbevoie just days before the opening ceremony and never returning, missing the entire competition.
On September 4, the vice president of the Eritrean Olympic Committee was reported missing after leaving the athletes' village the previous day.
Cuban judoka Dale Ojeda had visited Paris to help train athletes for that year's Olympics but went missing before the opening ceremony on July 26, only to resurface a few weeks later in Spain, where he had taken refuge.
“I feel great, I feel more at ease and confident now and I'm looking forward to starting my new life,” she said. Cuba He dreams of representing Spain at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
With post wire
