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“It’s a bit puzzling and very frustrating,” said Ward. “If we could just talk to somebody and say, ‘Tell us what you want’, but we can’t. It’s just the rejection letter. It seems like we’ve covered all the bases and then we get rejected.

“They are all self-made heroes already within Uganda, starting from very lowly beginnings, and are now established and well respected members of their communities,” he said, “They have spent the last year working towards the opportunity to represent their nation.”

Robert Zwanenburg, chair of the Canadian Freestyle Kayaking Committee, said he and others in the kayaking and canoeing community are now trying to get some direction from Citizenship and Immigration.

“There is always going to be a concern, particularly with people from developing countries,” he said. “But a lot of people here have stepped up to the plate and offered to help them out. If we have to do a third application, I’m certainly willing to put my name forward as a personal sponsor.”

Citizenship and Immigration refused to comment on the case, citing privacy considerations.

This is the third time the world championships have been held in Canada and, according to organizers, there has never been a defection of a competitor.

The Ugandan team is based at Jinja on the shore of Lake Victoria, near the source of the White Nile. The area is a popular training spot and attracts freestyle kayakers from across the globe.

Those visits have forged relationships between the Ugandans and the international kayaking fraternity.

The Ugandan team, considered excellent kayakers in need of exposure to international competition, was selected from 30 national competitors.

Teams are already arriving and starting to practise ahead of the championships.

Freestyle kayaking — sometimes referred to as the gymnastics of kayaking — was an exhibition sport at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and is working its way toward full recognition by the International Olympic Committee.

Besides Uganda, registered teams are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United States and Ukraine.

Organizers say they are unaware of athletes from any other country being refused visas.

More information on the world championships, go to https://www.worldfreestylekayakchampionships.com/event/venue/

Watch the Ugandan team’s fundraising video released this year: