IWAS World Junior Games 2014, Stoke Mandeville
23rd April 2013The International Wheelchair andAmputee Sports Federation are delighted to announce that they will stage the 10th World Junior Games at Stoke Mandeville Sports Stadium in the UK between the 3rd to the 8th August 2014.
It is anticipated that 500 athletes from 50 countries will compete in Athletics, Table Tennis, Powerlifting and Archery.
The Age group is under 23 and the Games will provide valuable competition for all up and coming youngsters and 2016 Rio Paralympic prospects and will take place just before the IPC European Athletic Championships that will be staged in Swansea, UK.
“IWAS is pleased that we can return to Stoke Mandeville in 2014 where the 10th IWAS World Junior Games will revive the ‘Spirit’ of the International Stoke Mandeville Games.” was the statement from IWAS Games Committee Chairperson, Dina Sotiriadi.
The success of the Stoke Mandeville bid means that some of the World’s best young athletes will have the opportunity to compete at an elite level of sport at the home of the Paralympic movement and will take place nine years after the first ever World Junior Games held at Stoke Mandeville.
A number of current London 2012 Paralympians will be expected to compete and past youngsters including Marcel Hug (SUI), Nathan Stephens (GBR) and Madison De Rozario (AUS) first major competition was at previous World Junior Games.
It will also provide the British public with an opportunity once again to show their support to some of the World best Paralympic athletes. In his response the IWAS President Paul DePace said “IWAS is fortunate to be able to build on the legacy of London 2012 by the renewed interest and especially so in Buckinghamshire – the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.”
This year in Puerto Rico the 9th World Junior Games will take place between 6th to 15th August and sports will include Athletics, Swimming, Archery and Paratriathlon (which will be a new sport at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio).
The first junior games were held here at Stoke in July 2005. Then Ireland 2006, South Africa 2007, USA 2008, Switzerland 2009, Czech Rep 2010, UAE 2011, Czech Rep 2012)