Julius, the Ugandan athlete who escaped in Tokyo 2020 in search of a better life, El Siglo de Torreon

A few days ago, the case of Julius Siketoliko, a 20-year-old weightlifter, who traveled with the Ugandan delegation to Tokyo 2020 and escaped from his hotel, appeared on social media.

Julius has been in Izumisano since June, setting up the Ugandan team to train in exclusive facilities for the sporting event.

The athlete left the facilities without notifying anyone last Friday and, according to local media, bought a ticket for an express train to Nagoya, a town less than 250 kilometers away.

The young man left a “farewell note” in his room, in which he confirmed that he wanted to escape from his country due to the poor conditions in which he was living, in search of a better life in Japan.

“I want to work in Japan,” he wrote in his diary.

Julius, along with nine other Ugandan athletes, tested positive for COVID-19 on June 19, so they have been kept in isolation throughout that time.

According to Beatrice Ayekuro, head of the Ugandan Olympic delegation, the missing person and his coach will return to their country next week, but he did not mention the reasons.