The Championship, which sees the world’s 10 best wheelchair curling countries, is due to take place until February 28.

Vital qualification points for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang will also be available. 

The country crowned world champions will receive 12 points, the beaten finalists 10 and the bronze medallists eight.

Depending on the standings the remaining teams will earn one to seven points.

Having won the World Championship gold medal in Lohja in Finland last year, Russia currently lead the Paralympic points table.

China are in second place and Finland third.

Between the three World Wheelchair Curling Championship leading up to the next Paralympics 12 teams will be determined to compete at Pyeongchang 2018.

The teams taking part in Lucerne are Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Korea, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, hosts Switzerland and the United States. 

Canada will be represented by the Sochi 2014 Paralympic champions, skipped by Jim Armstrong.

The 2015 world wheelchair champions Russia and Sochi 2014 silver medallists will once again be skipped by Andrey Smirnov.

China, the World Championship silver medallists in 2015, will be represented by a new team competing at this level.

Markku Karjalainen will skip Finland once again, after their historic bronze medal last year.

Norway and South Korea secured their places at this year’s Championship after finishing first and second respectively at the Wheelchair Wheelchair-B Curling Championship in Finland last November.

This event is due begin with a round-robin, before progressing to a potential tie-breaker round, if required and then page play-offs, semi-finals and finals.

This will be the fourth time this World Curling Championship will have been held in Switzerland.

The nearby town of Sursee hosted the Championship in 2002, 2004 and 2008.