With the world now counting down to the start of the Tokyo Olympics, a Ugandan athlete has reportedly gone missing after disappearing from his hotel at a training camp in Izumisano, Osaka Japan.
According to the official statement from the organisers, the town hosting the delegation said that 20-year-old weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko did not appear for his test of Covid-19 and wasn’t also seen in his hotel room.
“One member of the Ugandan delegation, which the city received as a host town, has gone missing and cannot be reached. The city is making all efforts to search for the individual. We have reported the matter to police,” reads the statement in part.
The first group of Ugandan athletes arrived in Japan last month, they went to Izumisano in Osaka region for a pre-Games training camp.
However, a coach tested positive on arrival, and other delegation members were subsequently asked to self-isolate, with a second member later testing positive.
The Games will take place behind closed doors due to a state of emergency in Tokyo. Athletes and other Olympic participants are subject to strict rules including regular testing and limits on their movement. The games are scheduled to start on June 23.