Powerchair football was one of seven sports to formally submit a bid application to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to be included in the Summer Games programme alongside badminton, canoe, golf, taekwondo, triathlon and intellectual disability basketball.

Following an IPC governing Board meeting in Guangzhou in China last month just days before the inaugural Asian Para Games in the city, it was decided that canoe and triathlon would be added to the programme.

But despite the disappointment FIPFA President Hervé Delattre maintains the sport is in good shape.

"FIPFA is still a young federation and we made a great deal of progress in preparing our excellent bid for the Paralympics, which will help us for the next time," he said.

"The FIPFA World Cup in Paris is taking place in less than a year.

"It is our flagship event and I hope to see Paralympic officials attend to see what they will miss at Rio!"

FIPFA was also represented in Guangzhou by its Asia Zone President Hiroshi Takahashi, who claimed the sport already has a big following, particularly in Asia.

He said: "Our eyes [in Guangzhou] were on the thousands of athletes at the 2010 Asian Para Games.

"Many of those competing are also quite familiar with power soccer [powerchair football] and play it already.

"I hope one day soon we can see our exciting sport widely appreciated in the Paralympic Movement."

The IPC revealed that there were many strong points to the powerchair bid, although it still fell just short of becoming the first electric wheelchair Paralympic sport.

Several thousand athletes with severe and multiple impairments who use an electric wheelchair for their daily living take part in this team sport around the world.

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