Ugandan Weightlifter Runs Away from Olympics Camp in Japan to Seek Greener Pastures
- A Ugandan athlete has run away from the team camp in Japan
- He wrote a note to say he did not want to return to his home country because life there was hard
- Julius Sekitoleko failed to qualify to participate in the games
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The Ugandan Olympic Committee (UOC) says one of its athlete has run away from a pre-training camp in Izumisano, Osaka, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Weightlifter Julius Sekitoleko is reported to be missing after failing to qualify to participate in the games.
Sekitoleko is part of the Uganda delegation which included coaches, boxers and a swimmer who have been preparing in Izumisano, Osaka, since late June, according to BBC.
Source: UGC
According to a statement from the UOC, Sekitoleko was to return to Uganda on Tuesday, 20 July together with his coach.
"He, together with his coach, were due to return to Uganda on 20 July 2021. We, during our regular team briefings both in Uganda and in Japan, emphasised inter alia the need to respect the immigration regulations of Japan and not opt to leave the camp without authorisation."
The statement also added that the rest of the members of the Olympic team were cooperating with authorities.
"Our team in Izumisano is cooperating with the Osaka authorities to try and locate Mr Sekitoleko. We shall keep you posted on any further developments in this regard."
According to CNN, Sekitoleko left a note saying his life in the African country was too difficult and he wanted to work in Japan, officials have said.
An official from Izumisano is said to have reported that Ssekitoleko said he did not want to return to Uganda and asked the members of his delegation to send his belongings back to his wife, in the note.
It is understood that the Ugandan delegation was among the first teams to arrive in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics.
The opening ceremony for Tokyo 2020 is set for Friday, July 23, 2021 after the games were delayed due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.
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2 Kaizer Chiefs players off to Tokyo Olympics to play for SA U/23 side
In more Olympics news, Briefly News reported earlier that at lunchtime on Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs defender Reeve Frosler and midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo left their Amakhosi teammates in Casablanca, Morocco, on their journey to Tokyo.
The duo will fly via Istanbul, Turkey, to join the South African under-23 team, which is already in Japan for the Olympic Games. They should arrive at 7:20pm on Monday evening, Tokyo time, with coach David Notoane and the rest of the group.
Despite the Chiefs' loss to Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League final in Casablanca, Ngcobo remains positive and excited to represent South Africa in the Games, according to the Kaizer Chiefs website.
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Source: Briefly News
