Cas

The Indonesia government said last week it will not grant visas to Israeli gymnasts for the World Championships.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected appeals by the Israel Gymnastics Federation to be allowed to compete at a world championships in Indonesia this weekend.

The CAS also turned down Israel’s request to force the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to guarantee Israel’s participation, or alternatively cancel or move the artistic worlds, set to start on Sunday in Jakarta.

The Indonesian government last week said it will not grant visas to Israeli gymnasts, and the Swiss-based CAS said on Tuesday that FIG stated it has no control over Indonesia’s visa policies.

In its reaction to Indonesia’s move, the FIG did not threaten to take the event away from Indonesia as stipulated in its statutes for cases where the host refuses to issue visas. Israel wanted the FIG “taking note” of the government statement to be annulled, but CAS also rejected that on Tuesday.

Indonesia’s decision to deny visas came after Israel’s planned participation sparked intense opposition in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, which has long been a staunch supporter of Palestinians.

Israel is among 86 countries registered to compete at the worlds, with a team featuring 2021 Olympic gold medallist and defending world champion Artem Dolgopyat in the men’s floor exercise.

Now its participation is in doubt, even though the Israeli federation said in July that it had been assured by Indonesian officials that it would be welcome at the worlds. That would have gone against Indonesia’s longstanding policy of refusing to host Israeli sport delegations for major events.

The gymnastics spat is the latest example of how the global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza has spread into the arenas of sport and culture.

In their appeal Palace have requested an annulment of the decision by Uefa’s financial control body and readmission to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.

A decision is expected on or before 11 August, with the Europa League group stage beginning on 24 September.

The rules of European football’s governing body state that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.

Uefa’s rules set a deadline of 1 March 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring – a deadline Palace missed.

Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept the Premier League club’s defence.

Speaking to The Rest is Football, external podcast last week, Palace chairman Steve Parish said he was “very hopeful” the decision would be overturned.

“We don’t think this is the right decision by any means. We know, unequivocally, that John [Textor] didn’t have decisive influence over the club,” he said.

“We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it’s a fact.”

Uefa advanced its assessment date to 1 March rather than June, but the Cas panel found that this change had been properly communicated by Uefa and that Drogheda ought to have known about it.

A majority of the panel also rejected Drogheda’s submissions on alleged unequal treatment by Uefa.

Drogheda, who are currently third in the League of Ireland Premier Division and face Shamrock Rovers on Monday night, also called the decision “unjust”.

“Rules should protect opportunity, not prevent it,” their statement added.

“Especially for community-driven clubs like ours who fight every day to punch above their weight.

“Nevertheless, we accept responsibility. And we’re sorry. But while we are saddened, we are also emboldened.

“We will not let this setback define us. Instead, we will use it as fuel. Our club has never been handed anything and we’ve earned every inch through grit, resilience, and unity. And we will continue to do so.”

Derry City, who Drogheda beat in the FAI Cup final, are unable to join Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic in the competition as the deadline for a Uefa licence has passed.

Drogheda’s sitaution is similar to that being experienced by Crystal Palace, who qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup in May.

It is the only time the Premier League club has qualified for European football in their 120-year history, but Uefa is set to decide whether they breached its rules on teams under one multi-club ownership structure competing in that competition.

Uefa’s final ruling will centre on American businessman John Textor, owner of Eagle Football – which holds a 43% stake in Palace.

Eagle Football also owns a 77% stake in French side Lyon, who – like Palace – have qualified for next season’s Europa League.

In recent seasons, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been admitted into European competition despite initial concerns over multi-club ownership.

No one could blame Jordan Chiles at this point for worrying that the International Olympic Committee will barge into her place and pry that infamous bronze medal from her fingers.

Instead, the UCLA junior is reaching new heights literally and figuratively, expertly flying through the air, leading the Bruins to the Big Ten Conference gymnastics championship and a No. 3 national ranking. Time magazine named her one of the women of the year, she published her memoir “I’m That Girl,” and is featured in Nike’s “So Win” campaign.

All while continuing her fight with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which stripped Chiles of a bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics after CAS ruled that the U.S. coach’s appeal of her score was made four seconds too late.

Ana Barbosu of Romania vaulted into third place and Chiles was dropped to fifth even though USA Gymnastics produced a time-stamped video from a Netflix team shooting a documentary about Chiles’ teammate Simone Biles that allegedly proved the protest came within the proper time limit of one minute.

And even though the head of the CAS panel that stripped Chiles of her medal is a lawyer who has represented Romanian interests for years.

Times’ columnist Bill Plaschke summarized the episode this way: “In the case of Jordan Chiles, they got her final score right. The Romanians didn’t disagree. Nobody disagreed. She earned the points. She earned the medal.

Jordan Chiles holds up the bronze medal the U.S. gymnast won in the floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

(Naomi Baker / Getty Images)

“If this were a competition run by somebody other than a bribe-taking, influence-peddling, over-the-top arrogant organization like the IOC, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

But it was, and still is, an issue. The organization demanded that Chiles return her bronze medal. She kept it and appealed the CAS ruling to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

Briefs have been submitted by both sides, the most recent salvo coming Monday from Chiles in response to a CAS filing described by Chiles’ lawyers as “improper and newly-raised arguments as well as misstatements of fact that seek to misconstrue the record and shift blame to Ms. Chiles.”

Chiles’ brief points out that “CAS falsely asserted that it was ‘undisputed’ that Ms. Chiles’ inquiry was untimely, a fact known by the world to be untrue. In her prior briefs, Ms. Chiles provided conclusive evidence that the inquiry was made within the allotted time.”

CAS earlier had asserted that Chiles didn’t provide sufficient evidence of the timeliness of the inquiry and was late in noting that CAS panel head Hamid G. Gharavi had a conflict of interest because of his extensive work as a lawyer for the Romanian government. Chiles’ lawyers asserted that any delays were the fault of CAS, which sent all correspondence to Chiles to an invalid email address that indicated to the sender that the emails didn’t reach her.

“Nonetheless, CAS continued to use that email address for multiple days, and numerous communications,” the filing said. “Then, CAS only tried to correct its mistakes after several rounds of briefing had been submitted by the other parties.”

Chiles has remained dedicated to UCLA gymnastics throughout the legal battle, something her coach and teammates appreciate.

“I can’t say enough about the unique person that she is to be able to handle everything on her plate and be able to handle it with so much excellence,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. “It inspires me every single day. … She cares so much about the team that throughout it all, she’s figuring out a way to be 100% connected and show up for the team each and every day.”

Chiles said she is inspired by her UCLA teammates, which include graduate students Brooklyn Moors, an all-around finalist for Canada in the Tokyo Olympics, and eight-time All-American Chae Campbell.

“I think honestly I see it as being part of such an amazing team,” Chiles said Sunday. “It’s cool to see no matter how much support we give each other, we understand how we all have different paths.”

A Costa Rican club has taken Fifa to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over its Club World Cup rules.

Liga Deportiva Alajuelense argue football’s governing body has broken its own regulations regarding multi-club ownership with the inclusion of Mexican clubs Leon and Pachuca.

Alajuelense said their case “demonstrates the existence of a joint ownership” between Leon and Pachuca and the club has requested a resolution at Cas “no later than one month before” the expanded 32-team Club World Cup begins on 15 June.

The 30-time Costa Rican champions believe they should replace one of those clubs in the tournament, which takes place in the United States, based on their continental club ranking.

In a statement to BBC Sport, Cas said an “arbitration procedure has been initiated” after a complaint from Alajuelense.

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for comment.

Of the four places reserved for clubs from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), three Mexican side have qualified.

Leon and Pachuca, who are both owned by the Pachuca Group, are set to join Monterrey as three of the most recent Concacaf Champions Cup winners.

Article 10.1 of Fifa’s regulations for the Club World Cup states that no club participating “may hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in the competition” or “be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club”.

Alajuelense filed an initial complaint with Fifa in November to request its right to participate in the next Club World Cup.

That was met by a response from Fifa, who acknowledged receipt of the complaint but said Alajuelense would not necessarily become “a party to proceedings” should there be any, the Times reported., external

The owner of the Pachuca Group, Jesus Martinez, said in December that his intention was to put a majority share in Leon up for sale in order to comply with Fifa’s rules.

Alajuelense released a further statement on 15 January, calling on Fifa to issue a decision on their case.

The 2025 Club World Cup will take place between 15 June and 13 July.