Lindy Ave won gold in the women's T37/38/45/47 100m as athletics action began at the IWAS World Games ©Getty Images

European silver medallist Lindy Ave won women's T37/38/45/47 100 metres gold as athletics action began at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games in Sharjah.

Competing at the Althiqah Club in the United Arab Emirates the 20-year-old German, who won European silver in the 100m last year but gold in the 400m, added another medal to her collection as she won in 13.40sec.

That time saw her beat South Africa's Sheryl James, who ran 14.17, and another German in Isabelle Foerder, who claimed bronze in 15.94.

In all action took place across six different sports today at the flagship IWAS event, including in wheelchair fencing, badminton and swimming.

Elsewhere at the athletics the men's T40 200m was won by Balasubramanian Rajkumar, in a race only featuring Indian athletes.

Rajkumar won in 35.18, ahead of Venkataram Chamanahalli and Devappa More.

In a more diverse men's T35/37/42/46/47 200m final, Algeria's Paralympic silver medallist from Beijing 2008 Sofiane Hamdi won in 24.35.

That saw him beat Thailand's Teppitak Muengprathum and another Indian in Dattatray Kesha Varkad.

It was also the first day of swimming competition at the American University Sharjah as well as badminton at the same venue.

Swimming action began today at the American University Sharjah ©IWAS
Swimming action began today at the American University Sharjah ©IWAS

In the swimming pool Estonia picked up three wins from seven races.

Two-time World Para Swimming Championship medallist Susannah Kaul won the first in the women's LC 100m backstroke, before Matz Topkin won the first of two men's races in the same category.

Estonia's third win then came through Kardo Pioompiuu.

They each triumphed in times of 1:15.98, 1:40.55 and 1:07.99 respectively.

At the badminton India's Pramod Bhagat got off to a strong start in the men's singles SL3 division, winning both his matches today, although he beat the UAE’s Alhalyan Sultan without lifting a finger as the home athlete withdrew.

He then beat his compatriot Sharad Chandra Joshi 21-19, 20-22, 21-8, while in the women's event top seed Samownkorn Photisuppaiboon from Thailand won both of her matches.

In the fencing four gold medal matches were decided across the men's and women's sabre divisions.

In the women's individual A division China's Haiyan Gu beat Ukraine's Nataliia Morkvych 15-6, while Greece's Vasileios Ntounis beat Great Britain's Piers Gilliver 15-8 in the men's event.

In the B divisions the men's title was taken by Poland's Grzegorz Pluta, who beat Italy's Alessio Sarri 15-13, while in the women's event the gold was claimed by Georgia's Irma Khetsuriani.

She beat Olena Fedota 15-10.