THE UGANDAN athlete who went missing from the country's pre-Olympic training camp in western Japan has been found by the police in Yokkaichi city in the central prefecture of Mie.
Police said the man is believed to be the athlete and he has already admitted he was the weightlifter who left his hotel in the city of Izumisano.
Japanese authorities are now waiting for confirmation from his delegation and also the Ugandan mission in the country on his identity.
Julius Ssekitoleko went missing last Friday after leaving a note at his hotel saying he wanted to work in Japan as life in his home country was difficult.
Authorities then launched an all-out effort to find him and he was found to have bought a bullet train ticket to Nagoya.
According to a Kyodo News report, the 20-year-old athlete remains in police custody while authorities decide on their next move.
The athlete and his coach were due to return to Uganda this week after the weightlifter missed out on a spot for the Tokyo Olympics, which will start on Friday.
Investigations revealed that Ssekitoleko arrived at JR Nagoya Station, about 200km from Izumisano, on Friday and joined a Ugandan man believed to be someone he knew earlier.
It is estimated that about 150 Ugandans live in Nagoya.
They then went to the neighbouring prefecture of Gifu.
Ssekitoleko was caught by the police when was in Yokkaichi about 40km to the south of Nagoya. Police said he did not resist when apprehended.
Under the Covid-19 safety measures put in place by Olympic organisers, athletes are only allowed to go to a limited number of locations, such as their venues and accommodation, and must avoid contact with the public.
The weightlifter's disappearance from his training camp had raised further questions about the safety of the Olympics, at a time when Tokyo and other parts of the country continue to reel from surging infections.
The nine-member Ugandan delegation has already registered two positive cases so far since arriving in Japan.
The first, a man in his 50s, was found to be infected upon arrival at Narita airport and the remaining eight members were allowed to travel to Izumisano.
However, several days later, a second member of the delegation tested positive, forcing all those who had contact with him including officials and drivers to be self-isolated.
Health officials said both were infected with the highly contagious Delta variant.
The Ugandan team is now at the Tokyo Olympic village.
Following the incident with the Ugandan team, organisers then revamped the border entry procedures for athletes and officials coming in for the Olympics.
Several more athletes from other countries have since been found Covid-19 positive after their arrival.