Wheelchair fencing competitions in Poland postponed

The trio of wheelchair fencing competitions were set to take place between 3-9 July but have been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The final World Cup of 2020 in Pisa, Italy, from 19-22 November currently remains on the calendar but is being kept under constant review.

None of the events were due to be qualifiers for the now re-scheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The revised qualification regulations for Tokyo 2020 can be viewed here.

IWAS President, Rudi van den Abbeele, said: “Warsaw has become a firm fixture on the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing calendar, hosting at least one major international competition every season.

“We are therefore naturally disappointed to not be travelling to Poland in July. However the safety of athletes and teams as well as a high quality field who have had the right conditions to prepare is what is important.

“More details about the rest of the calendar will follow very soon, and we thank everyone for their patience and understanding as well as their resilience. We have seen some incredible innovations as people adapt to the situation.”

Tokyo 2020

The International Paralympic Committee and IWAS Wheelchair Fencing recently published the updated qualification regulations for Tokyo 2020. The qualification window will now close on 31 May 2021.

IWAS Wheelchair Fencing is now working to replace the one remaining World Cup and regional Championships in Europe and the Americas which formed part of the original qualification pathway.

The Asian Championships will take place in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, from 10-19 December as part of the IWAS World Games, alongside the under 17 and under 23 World Championships.