Grants ranging from $10,000 (£6,270/€7,855) to $25,000 (£15,675/€19,630) were provided to USOC partner organisations to increase the number and quality of opportunities for physically and visually impaired veterans to participate in physical activity within their home communities.

In its third year of existence, the Olympic Opportunity Fund has now provided more than $4 million (£2.3 million/€3.3 million) to 223 USOC partner and community programmes resulting in thousands of veterans with physical and visual impairments participating in sport programmes at the regional and national levels.

"This funding is helping to meet the need for Paralympic and adaptive sport programming for disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in communities across the country," said USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.

"At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, there were 20 veterans and service members on the U.S. team who accounted for a total of 13 US medals.

"We hope to build on that success at the elite level as well as continue to grow the number of veterans participating in Paralympic and adaptive sport at the grassroots level moving forward."

Chris Nowak, the national director for the VA Office of National Veterans Sports Programmes and Special Events, echoed Blackmun's comments.

"Veterans Affairs is pleased to be partnering again with the USOC to provide funding for these programme," he said.

"This support is crucial to the thousands of veteran athletes who are participating in sport programmes and improving their lives along the way."

The latest funding announcement is part of the USOC's on-going commitment to disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces.

This is perhaps best illustrated in the annual USOC Warrior Games, a Paralympic-style competition held in Colorado Springs for injured service members and veterans.

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