Commonwealth Games: NI secretary calls for ban on gymnasts to be lifted

Rhys McClenaghan has said his "personal identity is in a very difficult place" following the FIG ruling

The NI secretary has called for a decision to ban three gymnasts from Northern Ireland from this summer's Commonwealth Games to be overturned.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled Rhys McClenaghan, Eamon Montgomery and Ewan McAteer could not compete for Northern Ireland.

It issued the ban because the athletes have represented Ireland in international events.

Brandon Lewis has written to the FIG president disputing the decision.

He said it "appears to frustrate the birth right" of the three gymnasts.

McClenaghan from Newtownards in County Down won Northern Ireland's only gold medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, taking the pommel horse title on Australia's Gold Coast.

He said his "personal identity is in a very difficult place" following the decision, which has prompted outcry from many in Irish sporting circles.

Commonwealth Games NI accused the FIG of "completely disregarding" the Good Friday Agreement, which states that people in Northern Ireland can consider themselves British, Irish or both.

The FIG has offered two options to resolve the dispute - one of which is for the gymnasts to change the nationality from Irish on their FIG licence.

• McClenaghan blasts decision to block NI gymnasts from Games

• Commonwealth Games: Ruling body explains NI gymnasts' exclusion

Its second suggestion is that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the event organiser, removes the relevant gymnastics competitions from the FIG's calendar.

In his letter to Morinari Watanabe, Mr Lewis said: "It is the UK government's firm position that given that these athletes were born in Northern Ireland, they should, consistent with their rights as set out in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, be free to compete both for Ireland and the UK".

"Forcing these athletes to 'change their FIG license nationality registration', as proposed in your press statement on 27 May, would be incongruent with these rights.

"I therefore ask that you reconsider this decision in the context of Northern Ireland's unique circumstances, and enable these athletes to participate on behalf of Northern Ireland."

Earlier on Monday, Stormont parties signed a letter proposed by UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt urging the decision to be overturned.

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has asked the FIG for an urgent meeting, and told BBC's Sunday Politics programme that the three athletes "should be in the Commonwealth Games".

"I support them in that endeavour as sports minister and I will do all that I can," she said.

The Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar also called on the FIG to overturn its decision, which he said was "wrong".

The FIG is the only governing body of a sport at the Commonwealth Games to have barred athletes from Northern Ireland who have represented Ireland.