Youth Handball World Cup: Ten Burundi Players 'Disappear' in Croatia

RIJEKA, Croatia – A predictable sequence of events took place at the Under-19 Handball World Championship in Croatia, as ten young Burundian handball players in the international tournament have mysteriously disappeared, leaving both authorities and organizers in a state of bewilderment. Croatian law enforcement officials disclosed on Thursday that these players had gone missing a day earlier within the city of Rijeka, shortly after engaging in numerous matches within the esteemed under-19 handball competition. This occurrence, while questionably surprising, brings attention to the ongoing issue of African migrants irregularly journeying to Europe, a phenomenon that, to some extent, might have been anticipated by authorities.

The sudden and unexplained disappearance of these athletes, all born in 2006, occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday when they departed the premises of a university residence in Rijeka. The regional police, in a press release, detailed their vanishing act, stating, “These ten young individuals departed in an unknown direction, leaving behind an air of uncertainty.” The players were accommodated within this university town, nestled within the bustling port city, for the duration of the U19 World Cup, which spans from August 2 to 13 and encompasses several Croatian cities.

In response to the situation, law enforcement swiftly initiated an operation “with the primary objective of locating the missing individuals and ascertaining the circumstances surrounding their sudden disappearance.” The organizing body behind the tournament, the Croatian Handball Federation (HRS), revealed that the young Burundian athletes, who had already participated in a series of matches during the group stage, had gone missing on the eve of a scheduled game against the Bahraini selection. Consequently, the match slated for Thursday was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.

Croatia, a member of the European Union since 2013, serves as a conduit for illegal migrants from African and Asian countries who seek passage to Western Europe via the Balkans. Notably, Croatia became part of the Schengen area in January, embracing the ethos of free movement across member states without border restrictions. On the other side of the equation, Burundi in East Africa grapples with dire poverty, violence, and political unrest, positioning it among the world’s most underprivileged and densely inhabited nations.