They have stepped into replace Vancouver, who were originally awarded the Games in 2010 only for the Canadian Deaf Sports Association to withdraw the following year because of problems with local organisers.

It will be the first time the Winter Deaflympics have been held since Salt Lake City staged the event in 2007.

The 2011 edition was cancelled because of problems with the preparations in Vysoké Tatry in Slovakia and which led to Jaromír Ruda, President of the Local Organising Committee, being found guilty of defrauding the event €1.6 million (£1.3 million/$2.2 million) and being sentenced to 13 years in prison. 

So the decision of the Russian oil-boom town, the administrative centre of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, located on the eastern bank of the Irtysh River, stepping in will be of huge relief to Deaflympics organisers.