Fourth Tunisian athlete disappears during Mediterranean Games in Italy
A fourth Tunisian athlete, gymnast Ahmed Abidi, has reportedly disappeared from the national delegation at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy. Abidi left the delegation's residence on Sunday, August 30, 2026, and did not return, despite being scheduled to participate in artistic gymnastics qualifications on Monday. This incident follows three other disappearances involving Tunisian athletes during the games. Wrestler Chahd Jeljeli, 20, vanished after her competition, with reports suggesting she traveled to France. Petanque player Mohamed Amine Saïdi disappeared at Rome airport as his delegation prepared to return to Tunisia. Weightlifter Mohamed Amine Bouhajba also disappeared at Rome airport just before his flight to Taranto. The repeated disappearances, with two occurring at Rome airport and two during the delegations' stay in Italy, raise questions about the supervision of athletes, delegation control, and travel conditions abroad. This trend highlights a phenomenon where some athletes use official trips to Europe to leave their delegations and attempt to remain there, with the current scale of four cases in a few days being unprecedented and problematic for Tunisia's representation.

