News

The evolution of wheelchair tennis at the four Grand Slam tournaments is set to take another step forward this July after the All England Club announced that The 2024 Championships, will see the men’s and women’s wheelchair draws double in size.

Fields of eight men and eight women have contested wheelchair singles draws at Wimbledon since 2016, with men’s and women’s doubles draws of four partnerships having made their debuts at The Championships in 2005 and 2009, respectively.

The World ParaVolley Super 6 will be back in 2024 with the women’s event relaunching the international federation’s premier six nations sitting volleyball tournament in Nancy, France from June 11-16.

The Women’s Super 6 will take place in Parc des Sports Vandoeuvre Nations in Nancy, about 350 kilometres away from French capital Paris, the host of the Paralympic Games.

The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), World Abilitysport and Virtus have begun work on a new collaboration which will see the three organisations share resources and knowledge for the benefit of Para athletes and their stakeholders around the world.

The Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) is proud to announce the successful conclusion of its third edition of Women Lead Sports, a leadership programme designed to boost the skills of female and male Para Sport leaders and Gender Equality advocates at the national and international level.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, a groundbreaking initiative has been launched to champion gender equality in the exhilarating world of wheelchair rugby. A task group dedicated to increasing female participation in the sport on a global scale has been established, marking a significant step towards fostering inclusivity and diversity within the wheelchair rugby community. Wheelchair rugby, a dynamic and high-impact Paralympic sport, has long been beloved for its intensity, skill, and teamwork. However, women have historically been underrepresented in this electrifying game.

The Ukrainian Para triathlon team has joined the Japanese national team for a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, from February 25 to March 5. Faced with challenges in training due to the current situation in Ukraine, the athletes sought a training environment in Japan’s warm and welcoming atmosphere to prepare for upcoming competitions.

“I’m very pleased to be here because people are so kind and are building good relationships with us,” expressed Alisa Korpakchy, one of the Ukrainian Para triathletes. “It’s not usual for us these days, so it’s very pleasant for us.”

The upcoming 2024 IWBF Asia Oceania Wheelchair Basketball Championships will introduce a groundbreaking initiative by assembling female players from various countries to form an Asia Oceania Composite team for the women’s competition. The primary objective is to enhance participation in women’s wheelchair basketball in the Asia Oceania region, providing inspiration to women and offering opportunities for those lacking sufficient players to form teams.

The 1st World Abilitysport Guttmann Games will be held from 10-14 July 2024 in the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain.

The Games, aimed specifically at sports and events not on the Paralympic programme, will host a competition programme of powerchair hockey and para dance sport with a development forum and showcase to be held in wheelchair cricket.

In a groundbreaking moment for FIS, the first-ever FIS development camp dedicated to para-snowboarding was held in Landgraaf (NED) at the end of November. Uniquely tailored as a women-only event, its aim was to encourage greater female participation in the sport. The event marked a successful debut, attracting 13 potential new competitors from 8 different nations.

In an unexpected announcement, the World ParaVolley President, Barry Couzner OAM, revealed his retirement from volleyball and paravolley activities, effective 31 December 2023.  He had another year to serve as President, but a health issue has prevented him from continuing in the role which he began in October 2014, making this the 10th year of his Presidency.

Vice President Lori Okimura will automatically take over as President until December 2024 and meanwhile a new Vice President will be sought by the Board.

The World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship 2023 will take place in the Kisakallio Sports Institute in Lohja, Finland from 5–10 November.

11 teams will play for spots in the World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2023 line-up. The three podium-finisher teams in Lohja qualify for the world championship, taking place in March 2024 in Gangneung, Korea.