More than 800 athletes take part in IWAS World Games in Sochi

Athletes from 37 countries have arrived in Sochi to take part in international competitions in summer sports among people with musculoskeletal system disorders.

In the Russian resort city, the athletes will compete for medals in the six sports, including athletics, swimming, archery, table tennis, taekwondo, and arm wrestling. The World Games will end on October 3, the website of the Russian Paralympic Committee reports.

On September 27, Sochi hosted the official opening ceremony of the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games.

Earlier, in Sochi, people with disabilities have reported a significant improvement in the barrier-free environment in the city during the preparation for the Paralympic Winter Games, which were held in Sochi in 2014. Meanwhile, they have also claimed that there are still public places inaccessible to people with disabilities.

In particular, the people with disabilities have reported absence of barrier-free access to the sea. Officials from the Mayor's Office have claimed that the city has developed and operates the "Barrier-free Sochi" card; however, the people with disabilities themselves have argued that the barrier-free accesses to the sea marked on the "Barrier-free Sochi" card do not actually exist.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.