A teen athlete was told he would not be allowed to serve as a reserve handball player because of his wheelchair, his parents have said. 

But the Malta Handball Association (MHA), which regulates the sport, say that while they welcome the teen's inclusion within the club, his participation must also conform to the rules of the game, which include not allowing hard objects that could harm other players.

Thomas Mifsud, 16, is a sport and fitness enthusiast but often finds closed doors in joining competitive sports because he has spina bifida and makes use of a wheelchair.

However, some months ago, the Kavallier Handball Club agreed to give Thomas the opportunity to try out the sport along with a group of friends, and when he did well, he was invited to join training. 

His parents, Nicolette and Sam Mifsud, told Times of Malta that they did research prior to giving Thomas permission and according to their findings, it did not indicate that the international rules for handball precluded wheelchair users from joining in with the other players. 

And things started to look even better when a few weeks ago, Thomas was selected by his coach to serve as a substitute goalkeeper for a league game, which is due to take place on Sunday at 9am. 

Thomas says he was doing well in handball and was over the moon when he was chosen as a reserve player for the team. Photo: Nicolette Mifsud

Nicolette said Thomas was "over the moon" and they kicked off the process of having him listed as an official player, which included him choosing a number and having his name printed on a kit. 

That form included a little box where players had to indicate whether they had any medical conditions. 

"We didn't see any reason why not to fill it in," Nicolette said. 

Within 24 hours of handing in that form, Thomas was told he would not be allowed to attend the game as a reserve player. 

The Mifsuds say that the MHA is preventing the club from allowing Thomas to be registered as a player and have come to them with "excuses" as to why he should not be allowed to play. 

Nicolette said initially they were told that the rules precluded Thomas from playing in his wheelchair, but after they pushed back, they were instead told the wheelchair being on the pitch could pose a health and safety hazard to the other players. 

As the saga continued, Thomas says he was told that he would not be allowed to sit with his teammates at the game tomorrow or wear his kit. He is only welcome to attend as a spectator. 

Thomas trains for swimming four times a week, handball twice a week and hits the gym seven days a week. Photo: Nicolette Mifsud

'I want to play but they're making me sit on the sidelines'

The news has deeply frustrated Thomas, who trains hard daily and has even done an unassisted nine-hour swim with ultra-athlete Neil Agius. 

"I do physio every single day, I train swimming four times a week, handball twice a week and the gym seven days a week," Thomas said. 

"By doing this they're making me more disabled than I am. I want to live my life like a normal person and not like an outsider. I want to play with my friends and they're making me sit on the sidelines."

Thomas and Neil Agius after completing a 9-hour unassisted swim together. Photo: Nicolette Mifsud

Thomas believes he was chosen to play because he works hard and that precluding him because of his wheelchair is discriminatory. 

“It’s important for everyone in sport to understand that people living with a disability can also be athletes. We have the same goals and the same determination and we just want to compete and have fun with our peers. We don’t want pity or segregation. I choose to play mainstream sports because I can and should not be banned," he said. 

Rules clear on ban of hard objects that could endanger players - MHA

In reply to questions sent by Times of Malta, the MHA said that while the rules do not specifically preclude wheelchairs outside of wheelchair handball, they  forbid hard objects that may be dangerous on the court. 

"The International Handball Association (IHF) has a published set of rules within which it is indicated in its Rule 4.9 that 'the players must wear sports shoes. It is not permitted to wear objects that could be dangerous to the players or give players improper advantages. This includes, for instance, head protection, (...) or any other objects which could be dangerous,'" they said. 

"Furthermore, the IHF Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories, further stipulate that 'it is not permitted to wear objects that could be dangerous to the players,'" they added. 

"Whilst there is no express reference to the use of wheelchairs, all protective equipment indicated in the regulations is disallowed when it is made out of a hard material."

The MHA said that it must abide by these rules and that the Mifsuds are incorrect in their interpretation of the rules not precluding wheelchairs.

They added that they fully supported Thomas being integrated into training and match days but stressed that the club was reminded that this still needed to conform to regulations. 

It is absolutely not the case that he was barred from the team and efforts were made to include Thomas in other ways.

"We are informed that the club made this very clear to the Mifsud family through members of their committee," they said.

"In light of the fact that Thomas was not allowed to play on the court, as a short-term solution the MHA made a personalised exemption and allowed Thomas to join his teammates and friends on the reserve bench as a match official wearing a player’s kit although this is not allowed in the relevant regulations. Thus, the claim of being barred from being part of the team is totally a misinformed claim.

"The reason why the regulations do not make explicit reference to the use of wheelchairs is because wheelchair handball is its own sporting pillar within the handball world," they continued.

"Notably, none of the regulations allow for a hybrid game between wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users."

The MHA said it is committed to making handball as accessible as possible and has been discussing increasing wheelchair handball competitions. 

"We hope the Mifsud family will accept the invitation sent to them to respectfully discuss the matter further and give it the attention it requires so that together with the MHA, they can be leaders and pioneers in this discussion," they concluded.