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The International Paralympic Committee General Assembly will this week decide whether athletes with intellectual disabilities will be allowed to compete at the 2012 Games in London.

Intellectual disability athletes were barred from taking part in the Athens Games in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008 after it emerged that most of Spain’s intellectual disability basketball team at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics were not disabled.

But intellectual disability athletes recently competed in the IPC European Swimming Championships in Iceland – the first IPC-run event at which they were allowed to take part – and they are hopeful of getting the nod for 2012.

Paralympics GB chief executive Phil Lane said: “We’d be disappointed if the decision didn’t go our way.”

A ruling is expected on Saturday and if the motion is passed at the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, a limited number of sports, including athletics and swimming, will be included in the 2012 programme.

The International Sports Federation for Persons with an Intellectual Disability has been working with the IPC on the matter and they have jointly proposed a motion to the general assembly.

The motion calls on the assembly to acknowledge the progress that has been made by the joint working group, and that the criteria for the reintroduction of athletes with an intellectual disability to Paralympic Games has been met.

Lane added: “Paralympics GB have lobbied long and hard for the reinclusion of ID athletes from the very beginning and that is why we would be delighted to see the IPC announce their involvement in the Paralympics, particularly with London 2012 coming up.

“When looking at a physical disability, a decision regarding sporting competition is a fairly easy one to make but when looking at an intellectual disability, things are far more complex and careful research must be undertaken to ensure the right course of action is taken.

“It has taken some time for this decision to come about and while the delay is regrettable, there are many issues to overcome in order to make a decision such as this but things seem to be looking positive.”