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Inter Kashi Win CAS Appeal, But Not Crowned I-League Champions Yet; Second Ruling Remains
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Inter Kashi won their first appeal at CAS against AIFF over a three-point deduction but haven't secured the I-League title. Another appeal could determine the 2024-25 champions.
Inter Kashi secured their first victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday. This followed the Varanasi-based team's three-point deduction for a disputed I-League match earlier in the year.
However, the CAS ruling does not yet award Inter Kashi the I-League title.
On April 18, the AIFF's appeals committee ruled against Inter Kashi in a case concerning their match against Namdhari FC on January 13, where Namdhari FC was accused of fielding an 'ineligible player.' This overturned the decision made by the national federation's disciplinary committee.
As a result of the appeals committee's decision, Inter Kashi finished second in the I-League with 39 points, while Churchill Brothers of Goa were declared champions with 40 points.
Inter Kashi appealed the AIFF appeals committee's decision to the CAS on April 24, and the world's highest sports tribunal ruled in favour of the club on Tuesday.
Inter Kashi has another appeal pending at the CAS, which could determine the 2024-25 I-League champions. Despite this, the AIFF awarded the trophy to Churchill Brothers based on the appeals committee's decision.
As per the first ruling, the CAS directed the AIFF to pay two thousand Swiss francs (Rs 2.12 lakh approx) to Inter Kashi, while Churchill Brothers and Namdhari FC must each pay one thousand Swiss francs (Rs 1.06 lakh) to the Varanasi-based club as a contribution towards its legal costs and other expenses incurred during the arbitration proceedings.
Following Inter Kashi's first appeal to the CAS, the AIFF appeals committee ruled in favour of Churchill Brothers and Real Kashmir in two other cases involving their respective matches against Inter Kashi concerning the re-registration of player Mario Barco by the Varanasi-based club.
Inter Kashi lost an additional four points, ending the league in sixth place with 35 points, while Churchill and Real Kashmir each gained two points. Inter Kashi then filed their second appeal to the CAS, which has yet to make a decision.
After the latest CAS ruling, Inter Kashi would be in second place with 38 points, trailing Churchill (42 points). If Inter Kashi wins their second appeal, they may accumulate 42 points, while Churchill could lose two points.
(with inputs from agencies)
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 20:48 IST
