Eight Cameroon athletes — one third of their entire team — have fled the Commonwealth Games, with their whereabouts currently unknown.

“The Cameroon Commonwealth Team is sad to anounce that 8 of the 24 athletes they took to the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, are missing from their respective rooms in the Games village,” a statement from Team Cameroon’s Chef de Mission, Victor Agbor Nso reads.

He explained the athletes left in “three waves” over three consecutive days.

The athletes include five boxers and three weightlifters.

The Cameroon team’s press attaché Simon Molombe told news.com.au: “They just left in the night. When we got up in the morning, they were not there. It’s very, very disappointing and very, very embarrassing for Cameroon,” adding he “doesn’t think they’ll come back.”

While it may be “very embarrassing”, it’s not actually a crime as they have current visas.

Read the full statement, below.

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