Jobs better than medals for
some Asiad athletes
Asian Games athletes are disappearing
in increasing numbers in an apparent bid to find jobs
illegally in South Korea, police and sports officials said
on Wednesday.
A total of 16 athletes have gone into hiding since Asia's
biggest sporting event opened in this southern port city 10
days earlier. They include 12 Nepalese, three Sri Lankans and
one Mongolian, police said.
"They must have gone into hiding to find jobs illegally.
Most of them are believed to have their friends or relatives
who are already living in this country," a police official
said.
"We have asked the delegations who are most prone to such
incidents to keep watch on their athletes. We will launch an
operation to track them down after the Asiad," he said.
An official of the Sri Lankan delegation confirmed three
of their athletes are missing.
"It is because of economic reasons," the official, who wished to be unidentified, said,
adding that the delegation reported to the police about the
disappearance.
The three Sri Lankans include one gymnast and two kabaddi
players.
Vinod Palikhe, head of the Nepalese delegation, was
quoted as telling the Korea Times that the Nepalese athletes
have been missing since last Thursday when they left the
Athletes' Village and never returned.
"We are trying to locate them but so far they have not
been able to be found," he said.
A South Korean government estimate puts the number of
llegal workers in this country at 266,000.