Individual Wheelchair Ultimate athletes invited to join special international teams being assembled
The World Flying Disc Federation (“WFDF”) confirms plans for the inaugural edition of the WFDF World Wheelchair Championships to be held at the Bella Italia Efa Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro from 28 September to 1 October 2023. There are currently four teams committed from Europe. Given the special nature of this inaugural event, and the expressions of interest received to date, individual wheelchair athletes are invited to submit their applications to join one or two special international teams being assembled separately from national teams in order to provide the opportunity for players from across the globe to compete for the Wheelchair Ultimate crown.
“We are excited as we begin to finalize our plans for WFDF’s inaugural World Wheelchair Ultimate Championships. Given the interest we have received from several international players from both WFDF member and non-member countries, and with the objective of growing the competitive breadth of this parasport discipline, we have decided to open up an international roster to be more inclusive,” said WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch.
“To support athletes and teams interested in the events, WFDF is arranging for sport wheelchairs to be available for those unable to bring their own. There will be also classification sessions at the event and team building projects unifying the wheelchair ultimate athletes around the world.”
Salvatore Comis, Head of Flying Disc in FIGeST (ITA), is serving as the Head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). The event is being staged in conjunction with the Italian Beach Games being held at the same venue at the same time which is expected to generate a lot of interest from spectators for our wheelchair event.
“Being held at the same time as the Italian Beach Games will help to create a unique atmosphere for the athletes, integrate our parasport event into a wider sport context, and promote adaptive sports in general. I am confident that Italy will prove to be great hosts for our inaugural World Wheelchair Championship,” said WFDF Secretary General and Parasport Commission chair Volker Bernardi.
“The Bella Italia Sport Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro is a great example of a fully accessible sport venue, offering a wealth of indoor, outdoor, and beach sport facilities, including a fully accessible indoor sport hall venue and fully accessible accommodations. It is great news that our Italian Flying Disc National Federation declared immediately their willingness to host the event after WFDF announced its plan to hold a Wheelchair Ultimate Championship in 2023,” continued Bernardi. “The recent parasport technical visit to the proposed location confirmed the full suitability of the venue according to the IPC accessibility guide.”
Interested athletes worldwide are called upon to contact WFDF Secretary General and Parasport Commission chair Volker Bernardi WFDF at [email protected].