Tokyo Olympics: Ugandan Athlete Disappears, Says Life Difficult Back Home

A Ugandan weightlifter has disappeared in Japan ahead of the Tokyo Olympics started Friday next week.

Julius Ssekitoleko was reported missing after failing to turn up for a Covid-19 test, with officials saying on Friday that police were making an ‘all-out effort’ to find the 20-year-old, who was taking part in the Ugandan training camp near Osaka.

Further media reports suggest Ssekitoleko left behind a note saying he wanted to stay and work in Japan, as life in Uganda was difficult.

Read: Tokyo Olympics: Amonde, Moim Chosen Kenya’s Flag Bearers

Ssekitoleko had not qualified to take part in the Tokyo Games, and was due to return to Uganda next Tuesday.

A nearby train station recorded him purchasing a bullet train ticket to Nagoya in central Japan, the reports said.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year due to the global pandemic, is being held under tight quarantine rules, restricting participants’ movements to prevent the spread of infections.

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