An Opening Ceremony is due take place today at the Alexis Arguello Stadium in the Nicaraguan capital city.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama will join the host nation for the Games, due to conclude next Sunday (January 28).

"The continent already had Parapans, Youth Parapans and Para South American Games, so the Para Central American Games were the next step," said Dionicio Zeledon, Nicaraguan Paralympic Committee secretary general.

"Besides, the event’s equivalent for able-bodied athletes exists since 1973.

"It was important to have one for Para athletes.

"This is a huge opportunity to create and remodel facilities in Managua, to modernise and make them more accessible."

Competition will take place in six sports throughout the week, with athletes participating in athletics, boccia, goalball, powerlifting, swimming and wheelchair basketball.

The multi-sport event follows on from the Central American Games, which took place last month.

Nicaragua will hope their double Parapan American bronze medallist Gabriel Cuadra Holmann can replicate his form from the inaugural edition of the event.

He won gold medals in the men’s T36 200 metres, 400m and 800m back in 2013, when the Games took place in San Jose in Costa Rica.

Holmann was among the designers of the official logo for the event, with his job being a graphic designer for digital marketing agency Tactic Center,

"The torch is a symbol that represents both Olympic and Paralympic Games," he said.

"As for the wings, I wanted to add them because some Para athletes do not have hands, some others do not have legs or arms or feet, but we all fly over the obstacles.

"And we achieve what we set ourselves to do, no matter what impairment we may have. 

"We always move forward."