RWANDA’s hopes of winning any medals at the 39th World Cross Country Championships in Spain this Sunday have been dealt big blow after local based athletes failed to secure schengen visas.

By press time, local based athletes including; Sylvain Rukundo, Jean Baptista Simuceka, Jacqueline Murekatete, Epiphanie Nyirabarame and Felix Ntirenganya as well as their coach Eric Karasira were yet to get visas from the Germany embassy to enable them travel for the World event in Punta Umbria.

According to reports coming from the Germany embassy n Kigali, the national athletics federation delayed to submit visa applications for their athletes on time.

Usually, to get a schengen visa from the Germany takes up to three weeks before the application is processed, but it’s reported that the application file for the athletics team was submitted last Friday, four days before the today’s scheduled team’s departure.

However, by press time, negotiations were underway between Germany embassy in Kigali, the local athletics federation and the Ministry of foreign affairs to have athletes issued with visas so that they could represent the country at the World championships.

If local based athletes fail to acquire visas, Team Rwanda’s quota of five athletes in male and three female athletes, will not be full.

The task will remain on an individual hopes, which will be led by Europe-based Eric Sebahire and Gervais Hakizimana in male category as well as Claudette Mukasakindi and Angelline Nyiransabimana in the female category.

The world championship is expected to attract up to 500 runners from 55 countries.

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