DRC Missing Athlete is on “holiday”

With only four athletes for the 2012 Olympic games in London, the Democratic Republic of Congo had nothing much to show to the world. But right after the closing ceremony last Sunday, the country became the subject of headlines in mainstream media all over the world. What happened? Cedric Mandembo, a judoka who competed in the +100kg category, boxing Coach Blaise Bekwa, national athletics technical director Guy Nkita and judo coach Ibula Masengo could not be traced by both the head of the country's National Olympic Committee, Amos Mbayo Kitenge and London organizing committee officials.

It is said that coach Bekwa disappeared on Friday while Nkita had left the area just after Ilunga Mande pulled out of the men's marathon the same sunday. Masengo was reported to have disappeared Saturday night while Mandembo was said to have disappeared just after the closing ceremony in the evening.

However an upset Cedric Mandembo during an interview with Top Congo FM a Congolese online radio based in Belgium claimed to have sought permission from the Chef de Mission to spend sometimes in Manchester with friends since his visa was valid through September. The Congolese chef de mission confirmed it to AFP “"I had him on the phone this morning. He called me himself to say he had not gone missing but is in Manchester, where he is spending his holidays." The only upsetting thing in his mind was the fact that he only received 1500 Euros unlike his counterpart from Congo Brazzaville who got 8000 Euros.

Cedric Mandembo’s prestation left a lot to be desired. He lost 49 seconds in his first fight. Female athlete Ilunga Sankuru finished 14th out of 15 in the women's 1500m and boxerCongolese Ilunga Sankuru Mwamba Meji lost on a referee's decision. Ilunga Mande, who immensely benefited from donations from generous Congolese to pursue training in France pulled out two kilometers from the finish in the Marathon race. The runner was also sponsored by the Congolese Diaspora to train at the high altitude training camp in Iten near Eldoret – Kenya.

The missing of participants came just a few days after seven (7) cameroonians disapearded and sought asylum in the United Kingdom. Speaking to the media in the DR. Congo, Sports Minister Baudouin Banza Mukalayi Nsungu said that the all Congolese delegation is expected.