This archive report was first published on 20 July 2021.
On July 20, 2021, a Ugandan weightlifter, Julius Ssekitoleko, was found in Mie Prefecture, Japan, four days after he disappeared from an Olympic training camp.
Ssekitoleko, 20, had been training in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, but was informed that he would not be able to compete due to a quota system.
According to police, Ssekitoleko left a note in his hotel room requesting that his belongings be sent to his family in Uganda.
He was found in a house belonging to people who have a connection to him, and was talking frankly when questioned by police.
His disappearance came at a time of high public concern over coronavirus risks, as thousands of foreigners arrived in Japan for the Games.
Police said Ssekitoleko had travelled to Nagoya in central Japan and then to nearby Gifu prefecture, before moving south to Mie.
