The BESF has said it also hopes that the case will trigger a "broader examination of the governance and oversight of esports competitions at the international stage".

Bahrain’s Abdulaziz Abdullatif Faqeehi reached the second round of the winner's bracket in the EA Sports FC Online event where he came up against South Korea’s Kwak Jun-hyok in the best-of-three format.

Faqeehi won the first game and lost the next before defeating Kwak in the decider as he moved a step closer to earning a medal for his country.

Kwak had raised concerns over the second game before a re-match was called by the technical official for the third game.

The BESF said the referee’s absence during the match served as the "catalyst for the entire incident" as confusion reigned at the China Hangzhou Esports Center.

"This unexpected turn of events left the Bahrain team profoundly bewildered, as no transparent rationale was provided for this decision," a statement from the BESF read.

"It is worth emphasizing that this rematch contravened the regulations established by both the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) and OCA [Olympic Council of Asia], a fact that has been corroborated by both organisations.

"This unexpected twist left the Bahrain team thoroughly puzzled, as no transparent explanation was provided for the basis of this decision.

"Importantly, this rematch ran afoul of regulations established by the Asian Esports Federation and OCA.

"Both have confirmed this."

The BESF also claimed that Faqeehi "found himself isolated without any means of communication with his manager or coach" during the match while the South Korean manager "enjoyed unrestricted access" to Kwak.

"Bahrain suffered a loss due to the stress and trauma endured by the player," the BESF added.

Kwak went on to reach the winner’s bracket final, losing to Thailand’s Teedach Songsaiakul to pick up bronze, while Faqeehi dropped into round four of the loser’s bracket where he was defeated by Indonesia’s Mohammad Ega Rahmaditya.

The AESF requested a report of the match which was filed shortly before the finals after Bahrain brought the matter to the attention of the OCA.

The BESF said that the majority of the three-person jury ruled in favour of Bahrain only for the technical official to overrule the decision.

Accusations have since been made by the BESF over a "conflict of interest" after the technical director overseeing the team was found to be from South Korea.

"Frustrated by the lack of transparency and perceived bias in the proceedings, the Bahrain team has elected to elevate the matter to the CAS in pursuit of justice," the BESF read.

"The fundamental principles of fair play, transparency, equitable treatment, and the right to appeal unjust decisions lie at the heart of competitive sports.

"As the global sports community eagerly anticipates further developments, we earnestly hope that this controversy will culminate in a just resolution for the Bahrain team and catalyze a broader examination of the governance and oversight of esports competitions at the international stage.

"Such scrutiny is imperative to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

"The events described here leave lingering doubts about the fairness, transparency and credibility of the tournament."