Five Cameroon boxers who vanished from Olympics claim they were 'threatened' and want to stay in UK 'to develop their careers'

Five Olympic boxers from Cameroon who disappeared during the Games wish to remain in Britain to develop their careers, it has emerged.

The men say the Cameroon Olympic delegation 'threatened' them so they fled from the Olympic village in Stratford, east London last week.

Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli, Blaise Yepmou Mendouo and Serge Ambomowere, are among seven athletes from the African nation who have disappeared.

But at a meeting with reporters in a secret location they claimed they want to stay put in the UK not for economic reasons but because there is no support for athletes in their home country. The boxers, who have a visa to stay in the UK until November, claim Olympic officials from their country had treated them badly and the amount they were promised in bonuses had been halved.

Mendouo said officials had asked them to hand over their passports after their fights and tried to send them home before the Games had finished.

In a BBC interview, Mendouo said they decided to fight 'as we are fighters' and said the group was looking for a sponsor to back them and secure long-term residency.


He said: 'We want to become professional. We cannot return to Cameroon... if we return, we will not practise anymore.'

However, head of the Cameroon delegation to the Olympics, David Ojong, refuted the allegations and claimed last week that the seven sportsmen had left to stay in Europe for economic reasons.