Ugandan Athlete Missing From Japanese Hotel Ahead Of Olympics
A Ugandan athlete has gone missing from a Japanese hotel on Friday ahead of the Olympics games hosted by the Asian country.
The missing 20-year-old man identified as Julius Ssekitoleko was was training as part of the nine-member Ugandan team in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture.
Teammates realized the athlete was absent around noon Friday when his saliva test sample was not delivered and they found his hotel room empty, city officials said.
There was no training Friday morning and he was last seen in his room in the early hours of Friday.
Officials said after failing to find him inside the hotel, officials notified police for a broader search.
They added that there was no 24-hour monitoring at the hotel, therefore, the exact time the athlete got out of the facility is not known.
Media reports said Ssekitoleko, who did not meet Olympic standards in the latest international rankings, was to return home next week.
Kyodo News agency said he left a note saying he wanted to stay in Japan and work.
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The Olympics games are scheduled to run from the 23rd of July to the 8th of August 2021.
The games were previously postponed over the outbreak of the coronavirus.
There were fears that the Olympics will be postponed again but the Japanese government was adamant the games would continue saying preventive measures had been put in place.
Two members of the Ugandan delegation tested positive for the virus but they have since ended their quarantine requirement and the team has been training since July 7.
MORE: Pindula News; The Associated Press
