The ban had been imposed as part of a national measure imposed by the Consejo Superior de Deportes, a Government agency responsible for developing sport in Spain.

The Gibraltar Hockey Association (GHA) had complained to the European Hockey Federation (EHF), who they have been members of since 1969, about the situation. 

Spanish clubs from Andalusia and Gibraltar regularly play against each other. 

The ban has now overturned, confirmed the Royal Spanish Hockey Federation, who had originally tried to claim that it was the EHF who had tried to prevent clubs from the two countries playing each other.  

"The GHA is pleased to announce that the ban imposed by the Consejo superior de Deportes on Spanish Clubs competing against Gibraltarian clubs has now been lifted," said Gibraltar's national governing body in a statement. 

"This was confirmed by the secretary of the RFEH in writing to our President.

"We now look forward to continuing what has been a long established sporting friendship

"We would like to thank everyone who helped and spoke out against that nonsensical sanction."

News of the lifting of the ban coincided with the end of the Executive Board meeting of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which finished here yesterday.

The Gibraltar Commonwealth Games Association (GCGA) had been using the event as an opportunity to call for Spain to prevent it blocking its participation in a number of sports because of a dispute over the ownership of the territory, which has belonged to Britain since 1713.