An Olympic rings monument is seen on the summit of Mt. Takao in Hachioji in western Tokyo. (Mainichi/Masahiro Ogawa)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- An athlete from Uganda who went missing last week from his pre-Olympic training camp in western Japan has been found and will return home as early as Wednesday, the African country's embassy in Tokyo said.

       Confirming a man found in the central prefecture of Mie on Tuesday by police is Julius Ssekitoleko, the embassy said, "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 upon his return to Uganda."

       Ssekitoleko went missing Friday from the country's Olympic team in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, after leaving a note at his hotel saying he wanted to work in Japan as life in his home country was difficult. The city and his team had been trying to locate him with help from police.

       The 20-year-old weightlifter and his coach were due to return to Uganda this week after he missed out on a spot for the Tokyo Olympics, due to begin Friday amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to Izumisano and team officials.

       The weightlifter purchased a shinkansen bullet train ticket to Nagoya on Friday morning, according to city officials. He had a mobile phone but his passport was kept by the Ugandan team, which arrived in Japan on June 19.

       The Osaka prefectural police said Tuesday that Ssekitoleko arrived at JR Nagoya Station, about 200 kilometers from Izumisano, on the day of his disappearance and joined a Ugandan man he is believed to have known beforehand, traveling on to the neighboring prefecture of Gifu.

       Ssekitoleko was visiting Yokkaichi about 40 kilometers to the south of Nagoya when he was found by a police officer on Tuesday and taken into protective custody.

       He responded to questioning with occasional tears, according to the police.

       The embassy said in a statement it "remains actively seized of the matter and will appraise any relevant interested entities as appropriate."

       Under the COVID-19 countermeasures put in place by Olympic organizers, 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.

       His disappearance ahead of the opening of the Olympics raised further questions about the safety of the global sporting event, as Tokyo and other parts of the country struggle to contain another wave of infections.

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