Malone returns to Paralympic fold

Malone played in Ireland's opening game in Beijing

Irishman Derek Malone has been reinstated to his country's Paralympic seven-a-side football team after being thrown out of the Beijing Games.

The 29-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, won bronze in the 800m at the 2004 Athens Paralympics before switching to football.

But he was barred from Beijing after being told his disability was not serious enough.

However, he has now been told by a review panel that he can return.

Malone was assessed during Ireland's opening game in Beijing against Iran and was told afterwards by the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association (CPISRA) that his disability did not meet their minimum criteria and he was excluded from the rest of the tournament.

The Irishman claimed he had been penalised for getting into peak physical condition and requested his case to be looked at again.

I am thrilled that the wrong perpetrated on Derek, and the Irish team as a whole, at the Beijing Paralympic Games by CPISRA has been corrected Paralympic Council of Ireland secretary general Liam Harbison

The CPISRA's new head of classification Carol Mushett-Johnson has led an independent classification review into Malone's case and has cleared him to return to the football team.

In a statement, Malone described the last 13 months as "the worst period in my Paralympic career".

He added: "I am delighted to have finally received some closure on the events of Beijing. It has been a long, frustrating 13 months, with some dark moments and numerous false starts.

"Hopefully, CPISRA have the will to follow up my reinstatement with an acknowledgement for the wrong that was done to me and the Irish team in Beijing, thus allowing me to draw a line under the events of Beijing and move on."

Paralympic Council of Ireland secretary general Liam Harbison said that he hoped that Malone would again represent Ireland at elite level and appear at the London 2012 Games.

"I am thrilled that the wrong perpetrated on Derek and the Irish team as a whole at the Beijing Paralympic Games by CPISRA has been corrected," he stated.

"I welcome the fact that CPISRA have reviewed their rules and procedures in light of the terrible distress caused in Beijing by Derek's case.

"I hope that they will continue to review their classification rules and be more consultative with the athletes and playing nations in doing so."