Ugandan Weightlifter Goes Missing in Japan Ahead of Tokyo Olympics

By Teddy Grant Published: July 16, 2021

Ugandan Weightlifter Goes Missing in Japan Ahead of Tokyo Olympics

FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, a man is seen through the Olympic rings in front of the New National Stadium in Tokyo. Tokyo Olympic organizers on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020 announced a series of 18 test events set to begin in March and run into May. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

A Ugandan athlete has reportedly gone missing from a hotel in Japan a week before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, according to NBC News.

Julius Ssekitoleko, 20, was training as part of the Ugandan weightlifting team in the Japanese city of Izumisano. City officials said his hotel room was empty.

His teammates said he didn’t show up at noon on Friday when his saliva test sample wasn’t delivered, according to NBC News. His teammates reportedly saw him in the early hours on Friday.

The Olympics, which were delayed for a year because of the coronavirus -pandemic, begins on July 23. COVID-19 infections have skyrocketed in Tokyo, prompting a state of emergency.

Tokyo officials announced earlier this month that fans would be banned from attending the Olympics in person.