The inaugural Guttmann Games are due to be held in October along with the IWAS World Games ©IWAS

The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) has confirmed the inaugural Guttmann Games will combine with this year’s IWAS World Games in a bid to provide a platform for non-Paralympic sports to shine.

Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Portugal has been chosen to stage the event, scheduled to take place from October 10 to 12, with organisers aiming to put on a "huge festival of sport".

Beach ParaVolley and wheelchair cricket are set to feature on the programme along with athletics, swimming, powerlifting and cerebral palsy football which form part of the IWAS World Games.

"Until now the spotlight has mainly been on the more established Para sports, and we have been a firm part of that journey," said IWAS President Rudi van den Abbeele.

"The IWAS World Games have historically featured aspiring Paralympic sports before they gained their place on the programme.

"Now we want to give a dedicated platform to those athletes and organisations who strive for excellence, but do not currently have the opportunities that an international multi-sport format brings – just like Sir Ludwig Guttmann did with the International Stoke Mandeville Games all those years ago.

"We are looking forward to staging the IWAS World Games and IWAS Guttmann Games in a festival of sport, and to welcoming everyone to Portugal in October."

Wheelchair cricket is set to be held at the IWAS Guttmann Games ©Getty Images
Wheelchair cricket is set to be held at the IWAS Guttmann Games ©Getty Images

Last year’s event was originally scheduled to take place in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand in February 2020 but was postponed to April and December before being cancelled altogether in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IWAS said it would continue to monitor the coronavirus situation and pledged to keep members informed should any changes need to be made to the Games.

Entries for this year’s event are set to open shortly, with athletes asked to arrive on October 7 ahead of classification and training from October 8 to 11.

The IWAS also confirmed applications have been made to host classification for the IWAS World Games in athletics, swimming and powerlifting.

The Guttmann Games are set to be held every four years and are the latest addition to the IWAS programme.

They were created as a tribute to Sir Ludwig Guttman, considered the father of the Paralympic Movement and founder of the IWAS forbear the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation.

The IWAS World Games and IWAS World Youth Games took place every two years.