Uganda state officials have warned that the two athletes who disappeared during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia may never compete for the African nation again.
The Games, which ended on Sunday, attracted headlines for non-sporting reasons as a number of African athletes, including eight from Cameroon, went missing from the Athletes' Village during the course of the event.
Uganda weightlifters Irene Kasuubo and Kalidi Batuusa were Missing in Action after they had completed their disciplines. They have until mid-May, when their visas expire, to leave Australia.
State Minister for Sports, Charles Bakkabulindi, told KweséESPN on Wednesday: "Those two athletes should return to Uganda as soon as possible, before their visas expire next month, or we might be forced to shut them out from ever representing Uganda."
Bakkabulindi added that stricter measures, though not specifying what the measures were, would be put in place to ensure this did not happen at future multisport events.
"We are going to toughen [up when] dealing with these athletes who disappear when they have traveled to represent Uganda at international competitions, [as they are] giving the country a bad image," he said.
"We are going to put in place very harsh conditions. I am waiting for officials of the team to hand in their report, because I am aware that passports for all athletes for Uganda's team were kept by team officials.
"They need to explain to me how these two athletes accessed the passports."
Dr Patrick Ogwel, the team manager of Uganda's contingent, and assistant secretary at the National Council of Sports (NCS), confirmed that the two athletes did not travel to Uganda with the team on Wednesday.
"The two athletes are still missing and we have alerted the Australian authorities and they will take over the matter," Ogwel told KweséESPN.
Uganda's team of 69 athletes finished in 15th place on the medal table. Joshua Cheptegei won two gold medals, in the 5000m and 10000m, while Stella Chesang bagged the women's 10km gold medal and Mercyline Chelangat bagged a bronze in the same race. Boxer Juma Miiro picked up a bronze medal in the 46-49kg category.