A massive search has been launch to find a Ugandan weightlifter who went missing in Tokyo, one week to the start of the Olympics.
Julius Ssekitoleko went missing from his team’s camp in Izumisano, a city in Osaka, western Japan on Friday, July 16. Media reports from CNN claim Ssekitoleko left a note saying he wanted to stay and work in Japan, as life in his native Uganda was difficult. The 20-year old weightlifter failed to qualify for the games after his arrival in Japan and was scheduled to fly back to Uganda on Tuesday, July 20.
He was recorded at a train station purchasing a bullet train ticket to Nagoya in central Japan, reports further claim. In the said note, Ssekitoleko reportedly made it clear he did not want to return to Uganda and requested his belongings to be sent back to his wife. Officials initially noticed he was missing on Friday afternoon when his Covid-19 test sample had not been submitted. City official Osamu Mizoguchi further revealed authorities had been searching for the 20-year old to no avail. Ssekitoleko was very optimistic about the summer games in Tokyo, as he previously competed in the Men’s 56kg weightlifting final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. At the time, he was only aged 17 yet he showed impressive strength in weightlifting.