Five Cameroon boxers who vanished from Olympics claim they were 'threatened' and want to stay in UK 'to develop their careers'

• The athletes say they had been treated badly by Cameroon officials
• They said there was no support for athletes in their country
• The group allege that their promised bonuses had been halved

Five Olympic boxers from Cameroon who disappeared during the Games wish to remain in Britain to develop their careers, it has emerged.
The men say the Cameroon Olympic delegation 'threatened' them so they fled from the Olympic village in Stratford, east London last week.
Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli, Blaise Yepmou Mendouo and Serge Ambomowere, are among seven athletes from the African nation who have disappeared.
But at a meeting with reporters in a secret location they claimed they want to stay put in the UK not for economic reasons but because there is no support for athletes in their home country.

Flyweight boxer Thomas Essomba, who was beaten by Ireland's Paddy Barnes, is one of the absconded boxers

The boxers, who have a visa to stay in the UK until November, claim Olympic officials from their country had treated them badly and the amount they were promised in bonuses had been halved.

Mendouo said officials had asked them to hand over their passports after their fights and tried to send them home before the Games had finished.
In a BBC interview, Mendouo said they decided to fight 'as we are fighters' and said the group was looking for a sponsor to back them and secure long-term residency.

He said: 'We want to become professional. We cannot return to Cameroon... if we return, we will not practise anymore.'
However, head of the Cameroon delegation to the Olympics, David Ojong, refuted the allegations and claimed last week that the seven sportsmen had left to stay in Europe for economic reasons.

Five boxers in the Cameroonian Olympic team went missing on Sunday from the athletes' village, pictured

Christian Donfack Adjoufack (left) fighting Germany's Enrico Kolling in a light heavyweight bout last week

Blaise Yepmou Mendouo (left), seen here after defeat to Mohammed Arjaoui of Morocco in the super heavy round of 16 bout, is another who has gone missing

Mr Ojong said in a message sent to Cameroon's Ministry of Sports and Physical Education at the time: 'What began as rumour has finally turned out to be true. Seven Cameroonian athletes who participated at the 2012 London Olympic Games have disappeared from the Olympic Village.'
The five boxers all disappeared after being eliminated from the games last Sunday.
Reserve women's goalkeeper, Drusille Ngako, who was not one of the 18 included in the final squad for the Olympics, went missing shortly before Cameroon's last friendly match.
Whilst her team-mates left for Coventry for their game against New Zealand, she vanished.

Abdon Mewoli (right) ducks from Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzbekistan in their first round Lightweight fight

Serge Ambomowere enters the arena ahead of his first round Light-Welterweight bout with Yakup Sener

A few days later, swimmer Paul Ekane Edingue and his personal belongings were also not found in his room.
International Olympic Committee officials said last week they had not been notified about the missing athletes.
The disappearances are not the first time Cameroonian athletes have gone missing during international sports competitions.
At past Francophonie and Commonwealth games events, as well as at junior soccer competitions, several Cameroonians have quit their delegation without official consent.
The UK Border Agency could not confirm whether the boxers had sought asylum in Britain.

The seven - who are members of Cameroon's Olympic team pictured during the opening ceremony - claim they want to stay in Britain to practice the sport that they love and not for economic reasons.