IWAS World Games


The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports World Games are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which under the former name of the International Stoke Mandeville Games were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been formerly known as the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games, the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games, the Stoke Mandeville Games, the World Wheelchair Games, and in the 1960s and 1970s was often referred to as the Wheelchair Olympics.
The Games were originally held in 1948 by neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who organized a sporting competition involving World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital rehabilitation facility in Aylesbury, England, taking place concurrently with the first post-war Summer Olympics in London. In 1952, the Netherlands joined in the event, creating the first international sports competition for the disabled. In 1960, the Ninth Stoke Mandeville Games were held in Rome, Italy, following that year's Olympic Games. These are considered to be the first Paralympic Games. The 2012 Paralympic mascot Mandeville was named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
While the Paralympic Games evolved to include athletes from all disability groups, the Stoke Mandeville games continued to be organized as a multi-sport event for wheelchair athletes. Games were held annually in Aylesbury under the direction of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation, which became the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation.
In 1999, the World Wheelchair Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2003, the Games were again held in Christchurch, and combined with a competition for amputee athletes organized by the International Sports Organization for the Disabled. In 2004, ISMWSF and ISOD merged to create the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation. The first games held under the name IWAS World Wheelchair and Amputee Games were held in 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The second IWAS Games were held in 2007 in Chinese Taipei and the third IWAS games were held in Bangalore, India in November 2009.

Games by year

From 1997, the IWAS event was renamed World Wheelchair Games.
YearName of the eventHostannotation
1997World Wheelchair Games
1998World Wheelchair Games
1999World Wheelchair Games Christchurch
200011th Summer Paralympics Sydney
2001World Wheelchair Games
2002World Wheelchair Games
2003World Wheelchair Games Christchurch
200412th Summer Paralympics Athens
2005World Wheelchair and Amputee Games Rio de JaneiroOver 700 athletes from 44 nations. Five events: track and field, table tennis, archery, shooting, and billiards.
2006World Wheelchair and Amputee Games Bangalore
2007World Wheelchair and Amputee Games Taipei
200813th Summer Paralympics Beijing
2009IWAS World Games Bangalore
2011IWAS World Games SharjahDecember 1–10, 2011
201214th Summer Paralympics London
2013IWAS World Games Stadskanaal
2015IWAS World Games Sotchi
201615th Summer Paralympics Rio de Janeiro
2017IWAS World Games Vila Real de Santo António
2019IWAS World Games Sharjah

IWAS World Games

Names :
No.YearHost CityEvents
12009 Bangalore, India
22011 Sharjah, UAE
32013 Stadskanaal, Netherlands
42015 Sochi, Russia
52017 Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal

For some years now, the IWAS Federation has hosted junior competitions, which were named IWAS World Junior Games by 2015. Since 2016 they are called IWAS Under 23 World Games and will only be played in years with even numbers.
No.YearDatesHost CityVenueEventsResults List
120056–7 July Stoke Mandeville, UK
2200614–16 July Dublin, Ireland
320074–6 April Ekurhuleni, South AfricaGermiston Sports Precinct
4200818–27 July Piscataway, United States
5200916–19 July Nottwil, SwitzerlandSPZ Nottwil
6201019–26 August Olomouc, Czech Republic
7201114–21 April Dubai, UAE
8201219–21 July Olomouc, Czech Republic
9201314–21 August Mayaguez, Puerto RicoCentral American Stadium
1020143–7 August Stoke Mandeville, UK
1120152–8 July Stadskanaal, NetherlandsSportpark Stadskanaal
12201629 June–3 July Prague, Czech Republic