TOKYO — Local authorities are looking for a Ugandan athlete who went missing in western Japan on Friday, raising worries about Japanese organizers’ monitoring of Olympic athletes amid local coronavirus fears.
When the athlete’s saliva test sample was not delivered and his hotel room was empty, teammates noticed he was missing about midday Friday, according to municipal officials. He was last seen in his room in the early hours of Friday morning since there was no training.
Officials alerted police when they were unable to locate him within the hotel.
Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu, the mayor of Izumisano, claimed officials had received reports of probable Ssekitoleko sightings at a local railway station.
Uganda’s squad has previously been highlighted in Japan’s health and surveillance system.
Seven town officials and drivers who had close contact with the team were forced to self-isolate after a second member of the East African squad tested positive for the virus a few days later. Both affected Ugandans had the delta variant, according to health officials.
Since July 7, both team members have completed their quarantine requirements, and the squad has begun training.
While Japanese officials have mandated the usage of health and location applications, as well as limiting activities to a “bubble” to completely separate players from the Japanese public, there have been reports of breaches.
At a number of hotels, the monitors promised by Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa have not been observed operationally. Marukawa told reporters on Friday that she is requesting that organizers beef up security and add hotel monitoring workers to ensure that the regulations are obeyed.