Dutch creative sports marketing agency TDE has created the new metaverse within Roblox, an online gaming platform.

The Paraverse is entirely dedicated to the EPC which is due to be staged from August 8 to 20 in Dutch city Rotterdam.

It is expected to remain active after the multi-sport event concludes and continue to be developed in the lead-up to other Para sport tournaments.

"We plan to further develop and refine the digital world, making it a permanent part of future Para sport events," said Ruud Dankers, responsible for innovation at TDE.

"More and more sports events have a virtual way to visit the event.

"By making this digital world accessible through Roblox, we want to inspire and involve a new generation in the Para sport community."

The Paraverse is set to give participants the chance to follow the EPC live as well as interact with other fans and athletes.

A total of 10 sports are on the programme for the EPC, with athletes given the opportunity to qualify for next year’s Paralympics in Paris.

"With great enthusiasm, we threw ourselves into the development of the Paraverse together with TDE," added Jeroen Straathof, tournament director at EPC 2023.

"This digital world enables us to achieve two of our main goals.

"Firstly, we want to introduce Para sports to the widest possible group of sports fans.

"Thanks to the Paraverse, it is possible to plant a seed in the sports fan of the future, a unique opportunity.

"In addition, we want to put Paralympic sports on par with Olympic sports as much as possible.

"The Paraverse is an ideal tool for that, because we are literally creating a world without limitations."