Handball association says safety rules bar wheelchair-using teen from playing the sport

Thomas Mifsud, a wheelchair user with spina bifida and brittle bone disease, has been at the centre of a legal dispute with the Malta Handball Association, which argues his participation violates safety regulations.

16-year-old athlete Thomas Mifsud, who has spina bifida, was barred from serving as a reserve handball player due to his wheelchair, despite showing promise during a trial with friends and being invited to train with the Kavallier Handball Club.

However, the Malta Handball Association (MHA) insists that while his inclusion is welcomed, participation must adhere to international handball rules, which prohibit hard objects that could pose a risk to other players.

Thomas’s parents, Nicolette and Sam Mifsud, argue that their research found no evidence suggesting these rules exclude wheelchair users.

An official letter was sent to the Court on behalf of the Malta Handball Association. In the letter, lawyers Stefano Filletti and Maurice Meli referred to a judicial protest filed on 8 November 2024, explaining that handball rules prohibit hard objects, including wheelchairs, to minimise the risk of serious injuries during matches.

The letter goes on to mention that the introduction of a wheelchair into a full contact sport can lead to serious injuries to both the wheelchair user and the person making contact with the wheelchair, especially in the event of a fall.

Furthermore, the International Handball Federation, which is the federation that regulates the sport of handball on a global level, had the opportunity to comment on this matter.

"Considering the construction and material of a wheelchair, it can be established that a wheelchair is a dangerous object that could pose a risk for the player in the wheelchair and other players during a match of indoor handball. Therefore, using a wheelchair in indoor handball violates the IHF Regulations on Protective Equipment and Accessories and by association the IHF rules for indoor handball,” the federation said. 

Filletti and Meli go on to say that, contrary to what Mifsud’s parents were alleging, “it is dangerous for the athlete in the wheelchair and the other athletes”. Further to this, Mifsud also suffers from brittle bone disease. “A fall, contact with an athlete, or even a bad throw of the ball can lead to serious injuries."

“This danger to the athlete, even on a personal level, is unacceptable for an association that is responsible for the health of athletes during the game.”