Ugandan weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko, who left the Olympic team and fled last week at a preparatory camp in Japan, returned to his homeland. The 20-year-old athlete will now be investigated by state authorities in Uganda.
Ssekitoleko disconnected from the Olympic team about a week before the start of the Games. According to Japanese police, he went to Nagoya last Friday with a shinkansen, where he met his compatriot, with whom he traveled even further. He was detained undocumented on Tuesday, about 40 km south of Nagoya in Mie Prefecture.
According to him, the bronze medalist from the African championship in the weight category up to 67 kilograms wanted to stay in Japan and find a job there. He called life in Uganda difficult.
Ssekitolek’s escape came when he did not show up for a mandatory coronavirus test. Shortly before that, he learned that he would not start at the Olympics after the redistribution of seats, and he was to set out on his way home.
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