A Ugandan weight lifter who went missing last week after he left his hotel room at a training camp in Osaka in Japan has been found by the police in a town about 100 miles away according to an article published by the New York times.

Mr. Julius Ssekitoleko, 20yrs old Ugandan did not make his country’s Olympic final squad and was originally scheduled to fly back home to Uganda on Tuesday, was found at the home of an acquaintance in Yokkaichi City, in Mie, carrying identification.

The weight lifter was discovered missing from his hotel room on Friday after he failed to appear for a daily coronavirus test in Izumisano. He left a note saying he wished to work in Japan. Japanese Police have been searching for him ever since.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Ugandan Embassy in Tokyo said it was working with Japanese authorities to enable Mr. Ssekitoleko’s “safe and secure” return to Uganda as early as Wednesday.

“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,” the statement said.

In Kampala,  Okello Oryem, a junior minister in Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, called Mr. Ssekitoleko a “traitor.”

“This behavior and act is treacherous,” Mr. Oryem told reporters after meeting with the Japanese ambassador in Kampala.

According to Mr. Fukuyama, the police had tracked Mr. Ssekitoleko on a surveillance camera taking a bullet train from Osaka to Nagoya, where he met another man and traveled to Gifu in central Japan.

Police officers visited that man’s house, where he told them that Mr. Ssekitoleko had moved to another home in Yokkaichi, where police found him on Tuesday afternoon.

“He may be a hero in his country, but he felt it was difficult to return to the country as he learned he can’t compete in the Games,” Mr. Fukuyama said. “He must have hoped to win and bring the gold medal back to his country. I feel sorry for him. I felt relieved he was found and want to hand him over as soon as possible as many citizens are worrying.”

“He is not a criminal,” Mr. Fukuyama said. “Even though he has violated the Olympic rules, he has no problem doing anything as his visa is valid.”

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