PARALYMPICS Malone Reinstated to Paralympic Football 7-a-side after Lengthy Protest

Following his dismissal from the Beijing Paralympic Games having been deemed not disabled enough to compete by the Cerebral Palsy International Sport & Recreation Association (CPISRA), Clare's Derek Malone, was this week reinstated by a review panel of CPISRA led by new Head of Classification, Ms. Carol Mushett-Johnson.

Following the Beijing Games, Malone, along with the Paralympic Council of Ireland (PCI) and Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland (CPSI) conducted a lengthy campaign (13months) with CPISRA, the international governing body for cerebral palsy football, to ensure they provided the "independent review" promised in Beijing by CPISRA President, Mr. Alan Dickson.

Confirming the decision of the review panel, Mushett-Johnson has also designated Malone's status as "confirmed" under CPISRA rules. Effectively, only Mushett-Johnson herself as "Chief Classifier" can alter Malone's status going forward. This is the highest level of classification status available to any athlete and in effect deems Malone's status as permanent and uncontestable by other nations.

Since the Beijing Games, a working committee was set up within CPISRA to look at all aspects of classification for Football 7-A-Side. Within this process a new "Head of Classification for Football", Ms. Carol Mushett-Johnson, was appointed and began working to ensure the classification problems encountered in Beijing were dealt with and confidence in the classification process for the sport would return within the playing nations. The outcome was the publication of more defined - and tighter - classification rules for the sport last month. The application of the "protest under exceptional circumstances" clause of CPISRA new rules, allowed for the review of Derek Malone's case.

The review took place at SportsCentrum, Papendal, in the Netherlands during the rest day of the CPISRA International Championships, in which Ireland has qualified for the second phase of competition.

Commenting on his reinstatement, Malone said: "I am delighted to have finally received some closure on the events of Beijing. It has been a long, frustrating 13months; 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 & the Irish team in Bejing, thus allowing me to draw a line under the events of Beijing and move on."


"I would like to acknowledge the contribution of PCI, CPSI & Carol Mushett-Johnson, in helping me receive closure on things. I would also like to thank my family & girlfriend for their unconditional support throughout Beijing and in the intervening time period".

Irish Football 7-A-Side Team Manager, Paul Cassin stated: "In my 30 years of involvement with CPISRA, both myself and my players have always treated classification with honesty and endeavour. I am delighted with the help of the Paralympic Council of Ireland that we finally have closure on this matter. I very much look forward to welcoming Derek Malone back into the Irish Panel and seeing him in the Irish jersey once again."

Secretary General of the Paralympic Council of Ireland, Liam Harbison, was more forthright in his response to the reinstatement of the Derek Malone. He stated: "I am thrilled that the wrong perpetrated on Derek Malone, and the Irish team as a whole, at the Beijing Paralympic Games by CPISRA has been corrected. I acknowledge the efforts of everybody involved in bringing about this weeks result, especially Carol Mushett-Johnson. Having said that, while recognising the process that brought about this weeks reinstatement, this decision should have been made much sooner which would have permitted Derek Malone to compete at the International Championships this week."

Harbison continued, "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, however, I do feel they still haven't addressed one of our core concerns, namely, that the symptoms of cerebral palsy as a condition are trainable and can be developed to a significant degree by elite athletes. I hope that CPISRA will continue to review their classification rules, and be more consultative with the athletes and playing nations in doing so".

"I really look forward to seeing Derek Malone represent his country at elite level and reignite his glittering career in Paralympic Sport. I was devastated that his fantastic success of winning bronze on the track in Athens 2004 was overshadowed by a terrible decision to deem him ineligible in Beijing. I wish him the very best of luck in the future and hopefully now he will set himself the target of appearing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."

In responding to Malone's reinstatement, CPISRA President, Alan Dickson, stated that he does not believe and apology is owed to Malone. This is despite the fact that with tighter rules, the CPISRA's most senior classification team have now readmitted Malone to the sport. When quizzed as to the need for an apology in this case, Dickson stated: "I do not believe that any is owed. This does not mean that I do not regret what Derek went through, nor does it mean that I am not happy that a new panel has declared him eligible. I regret it when any athlete is found ineligible, particularly a Paralympic medalist."

Derek Malone now has the option of rejoining the Irish squad after this week's Championships and may commence preparations for the team for the 2010 European Championships to be held in Scotland.