Rice University Police are leading a search for a disabled athlete from Jordan who disappeared from campus early Sunday morning. Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq, 24, who has cerebral palsy and speaks only Arabic, was last seen on surveillance footage walking on the university grounds in Houston, Texas.
Alqaq had arrived with his teammates on Saturday evening for the Genuine Cup, a soccer tournament for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism. He told his teammates he was going for a walk around 1 a.m. Sunday, approximately four hours after their arrival at Martel College, a residential college on Rice University's campus. He did not return, and his teammates reported him missing around 2:30 p.m. Sunday after he failed to show up for breakfast.
Campus surveillance footage captured Alqaq wandering the campus. At one point, he was seen near an exit but turned back, appearing to be looking at his phone. Authorities are concerned due to the athlete's unfamiliarity with the area, language barrier, and being in a new country.
"He does not know the area, doesn't know the city, new country, doesn't speak the language, the weather. All those things factor into everything, and yeah, reason for concern," Rice University Police Department Lieutenant Francisco Fernandez told ABC 13. Police are treating the disappearance as a missing persons case, as Alqaq left personal belongings in his room.
Search teams have been assembled, but the athlete has not yet been located. Authorities are facing challenges in accessing Alqaq's cell phone data because the phone is with a foreign carrier. The Rice University Police Department has requested assistance from Houston, West University Place, Texas Medical Center, and Metro police departments.
Ignacio Torras, cofounder of the Genuine Cup, expressed hope for Alqaq's safety and swift return. The Genuine Cup, which runs from July 27 to August 1, is hosting over 1,000 athletes from 53 countries at Rice University.
Alqaq was last seen wearing a light blue t-shirt and black pants. He is described as being between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall.
