DUBAI: The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games began in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Sunday and will end on 16 February. With hundreds of athletes from around the world either making their international debut, competing on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, or trying to finish their careers on a high, the World Games are a highlight of many sports’ calendar.
The IWAS World Games have attracted more than 500 athletes from 45 countries around the world. They will be participating across seven sports – archery, athletics, badminton, table tennis, wheelchair fencing, shooting and swimming. All competitions will be sanctioned by the relevant International Federation and in some cases results will go towards the all-important world rankings.
The wheelchair fencing will be extra special – the event doubles as the first World Cup of 2019 and the U-17 and U-23 World Championships. This is the second time that the event has been held in Sharjah following on 2011. Other editions have been held in Bangalore, India; Stadskanaal, the Netherlands and Sochi, Russia, before the last edition in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal in 2017.
