The Russian Sports Federation for Persons with Physical Disabilities, an IWAS member organisation, was successful in its bid following a final site visit by IWAS Games technical manager Jan Bockweg in August.

Sochi, hosts of the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, set itself above many other bidding cities by offering a barrier-free location with inclusive design for both sport venues and accommodation.

The Games, which will feature archery, arm wrestling, athletics, Para-taekwondo, swimming and table tennis among other sports, have preliminarily been scheduled to take place from September 26 to October 2. 

Swimming will feature at the 2015 IWAS World Games ©Getty Images



"IWAS is pleased to benefit from the legacy of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics in regard to the interest it created in Para-sport and believes that the IWAS Membership will support the Games with a record number of entries," said Charmaine Hooper, IWAS chief operating officer.

"We all look forward to a very successful IWAS World Games 2015."

The Games were a forerunner to the Paralympics, having been first held in 1948 by neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who organised a sporting competition involving World War Two veterans with spinal cord injuries at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

They're now held every two years, most recently in Stadskanaal in The Netherlands in 2013, where 260 athletes from 26 countries competed.

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September 2014: Sochi set to host 2015 IWAS World Games