Sports have until January 17 next year to express their interest in being part of the programme when the Paralympics returns to the Japanese capital for the first time since 1964.

On March 5, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board will then decide, out of those who expressed an interest, which are eligible to enter the second phase of the application process.

Along with the 22 disciplines which appeared at London 2012, these sports will then be invited to complete a comprehensive questionnaire before July 25 outlining their credentials.

The IPC Governing Board are due meet to decide which sports will make up the final programme in November 2014, as well as if additional disciplines will be added in any of the 22 existing sports. 

The five International Federations which are not on the current programme but are recognised by the IPC appear the ones most likely to be added.

These consist of handball, hockey, badminton and taekwondo, as well as powerchair football.

In 2010 the latter three of these all unsuccessfully bid for inclusion at the Rio 2016 Games where, after a similar process, triathlon and canoeing were chosen.

Powerchair football is one of the sports likely to bid for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games following its unsuccessful campaign in 2010



The process over the next 12 months will continue the gradual increase in events on the Paralympic programme which has occurred ever since the inaugural Games in Rome in 1960.

In Rome, 400 athletes from 23 countries competed in eight sports - archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball.

In comparison, at London 2012, a record 4,237 athletes from 164 countries took part in 503 medal events across 20 sports.

With the two new sports having been added to the schedule, Rio 2016 looks set to be even larger.

Tokyo 2020 should be larger again.

It will certainly be much bigger than 1964 when 375 athletes from 21 countries took part in nine sports, including snooker, at an event originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games.

Tokyo 2020 is set to be a much larger event than 1964, the last occasion on which the Japanese capital hosted the Paralympics

"Our aim with this exercise is to ensure that the sports programme for Tokyo 2020 remains fresh and features the best sports possible," said Xavier Gonzalez, chief executive of the IPC. 

"This is in terms of the athletes, Paralympic values, quality of global competition, reach, gender balance and impairments catered for, as well as appeal to spectators, media and broadcasters.

"We will review all existing sports and consider applications from new sports who feel they are worthy of inclusion in the Paralympic Games.

"This exercise dovetails in with the Paralympic Games Strategic Review we are currently undertaking.

"It is important for the whole Paralympic Movement that we build on the success and momentum of previous Paralympics and we hope this exercise ensures this."