LGBTQ athletes from all over the world, including Canada, have been left shocked, and in some cases, stranded by the announcement that almost all of the 450 events in the World OutGames in Miami have been cancelled.

The announcement came through the event’s Facebook page at noon Friday, only a day before opening ceremonies.

The World OutGames is a 10-day event that takes place every four years with LGBTQ athletes from all over the world competing in various sports. It was scheduled to take place in Miami starting Friday through June 4.

The announcement read: “It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel opening and closing ceremonies and sports programming with the exception of aquatics, country western dance and soccer.”

Others events, such as the Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as scheduled, according to the statement.

The Miami Beach Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office have jointly opened a fraud investigation into the event due to alleged misappropriation of funds, according to a statement from the board of directors for the World OutGames.

Toronto badminton player Jam McDonald was devastated after hearing the announcement that the games were cancelled. He was scheduled to fly to Miami Saturday.

“At first, I thought it was just a prank, because how can an entire massive sporting event be cancelled,” said McDonald who found out about the news via a text from a friend.

“I’d been practicing three times a week for months with the same partner to prepare for this, and I’d been talking about competing in the OutGames for a year.”

He said sporting events showcasing LGBTQ athletes are important as many sports still show evidence of intrinsic homophobia. He said it was a blow to the LGBTQ community worldwide for the event to be cancelled so suddenly.

“It would have been a landmark for me to play in my first international tournament in a sport I’ve been playing since high school,” he said.

Because it was cancelled so close to the opening of the events, many athletes had not only paid registration fees, but spent money to travel to Miami in anticipation of competing in the games.

Many are now calling for refunds on Twitter and Facebook.

It remains to be seen if the event organizers will grant these requests.

McDonald said he is one of the lucky ones who was still at home when the announcement was made. He was able to get a refund for his plane ticket.

However, he’s not optimistic about getting back the $300 registration fee he paid.

Toronto United FC player Paulo Senra is one of few athletes who will participate, as his event has not been cancelled. He participated in the 2006 WorldOut Games and he said it was an opportunity he’s sad other athletes won’t get to experience.

“It’s a really powerful event and especially for athletes looking for validation and a safe space to play. I’m incredibly disappointed.”

Senra, who has competed in more than 20 events for LGBTQ athletes, said he was “very surprised” that most of the events at the WorldOut games were cancelled.

Countless tweets and more than 200 comments on the Facebook post show athletes and supporters expressing their outrage at the handling of the event.

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The OutGames website promised that “thousands of participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe” would be in attendance. As recently as Friday, the event’s Facebook page was advertising for parties that would be held in conjunction with the games.

Even though he is disappointed, McDonald said it will not deter him from competing at the international level. He is already looking forward to participating in the Paris Gay Games in 2018.

“We need to show the world that there are plenty of LGBTQ athletes and that it’s OK to be athletic and be queer.”