By Duncan Mackay

Dutch town Stadskanaal will host the 2015 IWAS World Junior Games ©Facebook Stadskanaal in The Netherlands has been awarded the 2015 International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Junior Games, it has been announced.
 

The Dutch town had successfully held last year's IWAS World Games, an event widely praised for its organisation and which 260 athletes from 26 countries competed in.

It will now hold the 11th edition of the IWAS World Junior Games next year from July 2 to 8, an event open to athletes aged between 14 and 22. 

There are plans to repeat the successful format from the 2013 IWAS World Games when all the venues and accommodation were located within easy travelling distance on the same site, reducing the need of transport during competition.

Organisers Disability Games Foundation plan to again use Pagecentrum Holiday Village as the main centre. 

Sports already confirmed for the Games are amputee football, archery, athletics, swimming and racerunning, an innovative sport for disabled people with impaired balance which involves a custom-built tricycle "learner bike" without pedals.

In addition, IWAS is expected to confirm soon that electric wheelchair hockey and wheelchair fencing will be part of the programme. 

Stoke Mandeville hosted this year's IWAS World Junior Games ©IWAS World Junior Games 2014Stoke Mandeville hosted this year's IWAS World Junior Games ©IWAS World Junior Games 2014

This year's IWAS World Junior Games took place in Stoke Mandeville, birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, when more than 320 athletes from 31 countries competed in six sports. 

Highlights included two world records being broken during the Games.

American powerlifter Jaque Bilingsleybroke set a new mark in the over 107 kilogramm category with a lift of 184kg and Kuwaiti sprinterAhmad Almutairi established new figures in the men's 100 metres T33 class.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2014: Taekwondo steps up Tokyo 2020 bid with demonstrations at IWAS World Junior Games
August 2014: IWAS World Junior Games get underway at birthplace of Paralympic Movement
June 2014: Para-triathlon dropped from IWAS World Junior Games 2014
April 2013: Stoke Mandeville to host 2014 World Junior Games
May 2011: Maura Strange: IWAS World Junior Games could provide the blueprint for a Youth Paralympic Games