Australia's International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president welcomed legal representatives from 45 NOCs from Asia, 44 from Africa and 15 from Oceania with an introduction that detailed the CAS' growth since it was formed 30 years ago.

Going from an organisation that employed just three people in its first years, he said it has now become the supreme court for sport, with Alternative Hearing Centres in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Cairo, in addition to its headquarters in Switzerland, and offices in Sydney and New York.

Coates also thanked Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for his support of the CAS, highlighting ANOC's $2.5 million (£1.5 million/€1.8 million) donation to the Court.

OCA vice-president and Pakistan Olympic Association President Syed Arif Hasan welcomed the delegates to the Sport Arbitration Forum on behalf of Sheikh Ahmad.

"It will be an extremely fruitful session for the NOCs and we will learn a lot," he said.

"It is the first time three continental associations have gathered for a forum like this and the large number in attendance shows the interest it has generated."

The Sport Arbitration Forum is being attended by 45 NOCs from Asia, 44 from Africa and 15 from Oceania ©OCA



Matthieu Reeb, secretary general of the CAS, gave a presentation in the morning.

He claimed that the Incheon 2014 Asian Games would be the first continental Games to operate a CAS ad-hoc division to deal with disputes following the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Commonwealth Games, meaning that decisions can be made within 24 hours.

He also relayed statistics relating to football and explained that since FIFA recognised the CAS in 2004, the number of cases had more than doubled.

Now, 55 to 60 per cent of all cases involve the sport, including contractual disputes, and UEFA match-fixing and Financial Fair Play matters, while doping cases take up another 30 per cent.

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