The Games - a week long event featuring eight sports - is expected to attract more than a thousand of the world's top athletes with an intellectual disability.

The Opening Ceremony is due to take place on September 20, 2015, after Ecuador was chosen ahead of bids from Croatia and South American rivals Colombia. 

It is the first time the event will have been held outside of Europe, following Bollnas in Sweden in 2005, Liberec in the Czech Republic in 2009 and Liguria in Italy in 2011.

Guayaquil is Ecuador's most populous city with a population of 3.75 million and which is located western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean.

"The Global Games are the pinnacle event in the Inas calendar and we received three excellent bids," said Nick Parr, executive director at Inas.

"The Governing Board faced a difficult task finding the winner and I would like to congratulate everybody involved in the Ecuador bid on their success - Inas looks forward to a fantastic event in a little over two years time."


Juan Carlos Araujo, President of Primos Y Primas, the host organisation, was delighted to win the bidding contest.

"I appreciate the trust Inas has placed in order for Ecuador to become the winning host," he said.

"We are going to make the 2015 Inas Global Games the most beautiful and successful event ever."

The Inas Global Games features World Championship competition in athletics, basektball, cycling, futsal, rowing, swimming, table tennis and tennis.

A decision regarding the inclusion of any demonstration sports is due to be announced shortly.

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