Singapore's under-17 cricket team was stranded in Pakistan without travel documents after their manager and former Australian Test player Bruce Yardley was robbed.
Yardley said two youths on a motorcycle snatched his briefcase, carrying the team's passports and about $1,200 in cash, as he left an airline office Wednesday in downtown Karachi, the capital of Pakistan.
He said he tried to convince the youths, one of whom was armed, to leave the passports behind but they grabbed the case and fled.
"My main concern is to get these boys back to Singapore because they have to go to school," he told AFP.
"I'm trying my level best to get the passports prepared."
Singapore will play their last match on Friday after losing all their fixtures so far in the Under-17 Asia Cup. They were planning to leave Pakistan on Saturday, Yardley said.
Pakistan Cricket Board official Nasimul Ghani said the incident was "sad" and "we are trying to help them in every possible manner."
Ten teams are participating in the tournament with the notable exception of India, who complained they were only informed at the last minute – (AFP)
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