A Paralympic athletes has sparked a police investigation after they went missing in Paris nine days ago.
The female para-athlete, who has not been named, is said to be part of Rwanda’s sitting volleyball team who competed against Brazil on the opening day of the Games.
However, she has not been seen in nine days having reportedly vanished after leaving the team’s base at Courbevoie in northern Paris to go to a restaurant with others.
The disappearance was subsequently reported to the police by the Rwandan Olympic Committee on Tuesday this week, the day before the unnamed athlete was allegedly due to take part in the opening ceremony.
The Nanterre prosecutor’s office have since opened a formal investigation into the missing person, describing it as a ‘worrying disappearance’.
A Paris 2024 Paralympics spokersperson said: ‘Paris 2024 has been informed of the disappearance of a member of the Rwandan delegation accredited for the Paralympic Games.
‘We are in contact with the Rwandan National Paralympic Committee and supporting them on this matter. An investigation has been opened.’
Rwanda qualified for the Games after winning their third straight ParaVolley Africa championship in January and are currently ranked fifth in the world.
However, they fell to a 3-0 defeat against World No.2 side Brazil in their opening group-stage fixture on Thursday.
On the official Paris 2024 website, Rwanda were listed as having a 16-person squad compared with Brazil who had 18 players listed.
Rwanda also face Slovenia and Canada in their group, with the top two sides from each group of four progressing to the semi-finals.
The Rwandan athlete’s disappearance comes just a month after a member of Cuba’s staff went missing at the Paris Olympics.
Judoka Dayle Ojeda travelled to Paris to help her compatriot Idalys Ortiz with Olympic preparations but fled to Spain to seek political asylum.
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