Olympics: 7 Cameroon athletes 'defect' from country

YAOUNDE (AFP) - Seven athletes from Cameroon have "defected" in London where some were participating in the 2012 Olympics, Cameroon media reported on Tuesday, citing an official.

The disappearance of the seven athletes was reported on the website of the state daily Cameroon Tribune.

According to the head of Cameroon's Olympics delegation, David Ojong, "28 (delegation members) returned to Cameroon, 24 are still in the (Olympic) village and seven have defected," the newspaper reported him telling the country's sports minister at a meeting on Sunday.

On Tuesday the sports ministry declined to comment on the situation and no explanation was given for the defections.