The Awards, organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), are due to be presented at a ceremony in November.

The five categories include best male athlete, best female athlete, best team performance, best Paralympic Games debut and exemplary Paralympic Games official.

Previous winners of the best male athlete award include British wheelchair racer David Weir, winner of four gold medals in as many events at London 2012 to claim the 2013 crown, and Australian swimmer Matthew Cowdrey, who won five gold and three silver medals at Beijing 2008 to take the 2009 accolade.

Canadian wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc secured the best female athlete honour in 2009, after winning five gold medals at Beijing 2008, while Dutch tennis player Esther Vergeer came out on top in 2013, having won gold medals in the singles and doubles at London 2012 before retiring the following February having won a record 470 consecutive matches. 

Matthew Cowdrey's eight-medal haul at Beijing 2008 earned him the title of best male athlete at the 2009 IPC Paralympic Sport Awards ©Getty Images





In 2011, the awards celebrated the achievements from the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver with the best male and best female awards going to German athletes Gerd Schoenfelder and Verena Bentele respectively.

Schoenfelder, won four golds and a silver medal in men's standing Alpine skiing, while teammate Bentele claimed three golds in visually impaired cross-country skiing and two in biathlon.

Japan, surprise silver medallists in ice sledge hockey, picked up best team, while Ukraine's Oleksandra Kononova was awarded best Paralympic Games debut after winning three golds and a silver in Nordic skiing.

All members of the IPC, including National Paralympic Committees, Regional Paralympic Committees, International Federations, and International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled are eligible to nominate athletes and officials.

Each organisation is entitled to submit one nomination per category, with the closing date for entries falling on February 27.

The eventual winners of the awards, which are presented in partnership with Allianz Insurance, will be decided by an Awards Committee.

The Paralympic Sport Awards have been held every two years since 2005.

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