The Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) told the media that Julius Ssekitoleko fled their training camp in Izumisano, Osaka, and his location untold. Beatrice Ayikoru, Secretary-General of the UOC, confirmed his discovery in a brief video statement but provided no further details.
“He has been located and is with the (unspecified) authorities in the office in Izumisano, We are working together with our embassy in Tokyo to ensure that he flies safely to Uganda.”
The Uganda Embassy in Tokyo agreed that arrangements for the flight were put in place for Ssekitoleko to return to Uganda as soon as Wednesday. The embassy added that “any issues to do with alleged absconding from the duty he had been flown to perform in Japan and related disappearance from the training camp, will be handled appropriately on his return to Uganda.”
According to reports, Ssekitoleko was found 40 kilometers south of the Japanese city of Nagoya, where he was seen purchasing a train ticket. They arrived in Japan on July 19 and the Ugandan team kept his passports but he had a cell phone.
The UOC during their briefing on Friday disclosed that Ssekitoleko got to Japan even before he was verified for eligibility in the games. After he was briefed by the International Weightlifting Federation on 5 July 2021 that he did not qualify for the Olympic quota, the UOC made plans for him and his coach to return to Uganda on that date.
Coaches, boxers, weight lifters, and swimmers had their representatives and have been getting ready in Izumisano, Osaka ever since the game was postponed.