"It has been said by one or two commentators in the media that the IPC would be happy for Oscar Pistorius to come back to competition," he told insidethegames.

"That has been stretched to the idea that we would promote his comeback.

"This is definitely not the case.

"The response we have made has been taken out of context.

"We would very much have to respect what we are legally bound to say.

"Before any of that happens we would have to hear what the sentence on Oscar Pistorius is and take it from there.

"We can't really comment any further than that."

The IPC has said Oscar Pistorius, pictured third right at the London 2012 Paralympics, is free to return to competition once he has satisfied the South African legal system over the charge of culpable homicide for which he will be sentenced on October 13. But the IPC President has stressed that his organisation is not actively promoting the South African's return
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Asked if he could personally understand the reaction of Wilfried Meert, promoter of the Brussels IAAF Diamond League meeting, who told BBC Radio 5 live that he would not be happy to offer any future invitation to Pistorius as he was "not the kind of person you want to make a promotion for our sport", Sir Philip responded:

"I think every individual has a point of view on this issue, but of course our position on this is that this is absolutely something outside sport that has been taking place for the last 18 months in South Africa, and that we will address situations as they present themselves.

"At this moment in time I think we have got so far to go with this - we don't even know what the sentence will be, so it is really early days, too early to contemplate all the details.

"My personal view is not something I can really reflect as President of the IPC."

Meert believes his position over the six-time Paralympian champion - who shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 last year and will be sentenced on October 13 - is widely shared by Diamond League promoters.

He said: "Having met quite a lot of them recently, once in a while the conversation turned to the Pistorius case and I don't think there are many around that will accept him again in their meet."

Pistorius has competed against athletes without any disability for a number of years, and won a sprint relay medal as part of the South African team at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu before competing at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

But Meert added: "There will always be so much doubt around him.

"He is not the kind of person you want to make a promotion for our sport."

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