Canada's former Paralympic swimmer Chelsey Gotell is one of the five members of the newly-formed World Para Sports Unit Board ©Getty Images

The newly-appointed World Para Sports Unit Board held its first meeting following the introduction by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) of its five designated Board members.

They are Chelsey Gotell, IPC governing Board member and 12-time Paralympic swimming medallist for Canada; Luca Pancalli, IPC governing Board member and President of the National Paralympic Committee of Italy; Lisa Pearce, director of Leicester City Women Football Club and former chief executive of British Wheelchair Basketball; Thomas Lund, secretary general of the Badminton World Federation and Jennifer Brown, Para athlete appointed to the IPC governing Board on the recommendation of the nominations panel.

The Sports Unit Board has been established by the IPC governing Board with the authority to govern the six Para sports for which the IPC serves as the International Federation - athletics, dance sport, ice hockey, powerlifting, swimming and shooting.

These sports are currently in a managed process of separation from the IPC and the World Para Sports Unit Board will be responsible for monitoring each of the sport's progress towards their separation.

The World Para Sports Unit Board must include two members of the IPC governing Board, one independent member with significant governance experience in sport, one member with prior governance experience in an International Federation (other than one to which any of the world Para sports may transfer) and one Para athlete who is a member of an Athletes' Committee of one of the six world Para sports.

Athletics is one of six sports the newly-formed World Para Sports Unit Board is charged with establishing independently of the International Paralympic Committee ©Getty Images
Athletics is one of six sports the newly-formed World Para Sports Unit Board is charged with establishing independently of the International Paralympic Committee ©Getty Images

World Para sports managing director Christian Holtz said:

"The World Para Sport Unit is an internal unit of the IPC, created for the purpose of providing a mechanism to drive, help and support the World Para Sports to separate from the IPC.

"The World Para Sports Unit has its own board and staff, its own regulations, and its own resources to govern the six remaining sports.

"The ultimate goal is that the Para sports are able to thrive after separating from the IPC.

"The announcement of the board marks one more important step in the process to make these Para sports operate independently from the IPC structure as they progress towards a new and exciting phase."

The World Para Sports Unit Board members will serve a term of four years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The Board will meet in person once per year and remotely as required.