New Delhi: The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the All India Football Federation appeal committee’s decision to deduct three points from Inter Kashi in their I-League clash against Namdhari FC.
Kashi had appealed to CAS on April 24 against appeal committee’s April 18 decision to award three points and three goals to Namdhari on account of forfeiture over fielding of an ineligible player.
In their home match on January 13, Namdhari had won 2-0 in Ludhiana against Kashi, who had appealed for restoration of three points and a +3 goal difference gifted to them by the AIFF’s disciplinary committee on February 28 on account of Namdhari fielding an ineligible.
“The appeal filed on 24 April 2025 by Inter Kashi FC against the decision issued on 18 April 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is upheld,” Frans de Weger, president of the CAS panel, said in the judgement on Tuesday.
“The decision issued on 18 April 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is set aside and the Terms of the Decision issued on 24 February 2025 by the All-India Football Federation Disciplinary Committee in the matter IL 2024-25/102 are hereby confirmed:
“On the basis of the complaint received the Committee is of the view that the defendant club Namdhari FC has fielded an ineligible player resulting out of a failure to make the player serve the suspension in Match No. 45 of the I-League 2024-25 against Inter Kashi FC in accordance with Article 12.3.2 of the I-League 2024-25 Regulations for accumulation of 4 cautions in the given season.
“The said match shall result in a forfeiture (0-3 loss) for the defendant club Namdhari FC in accordance with Article 57 read with Article 26 of the Code of fielding an ineligible player.”
AIFF to shell out around Rs 20 lakh
The cost of arbitration at the Lausanne-based CAS, which was around Rs 45 lakh, shall be divided among the AIFF (40% – around Rs 17-18 lakh), Namdhari, Kashi and Churchill Brothers (20% each – around Rs 9 lakh each).
Kashi would receive an amount of CHF 2,000 (around Rs 2.12 lakh) from the AIFF and CHF 1,000 (Rs 1.06 lakh) each from Churchill and Namdhari for legal expenses incurred during the arbitration.
CAS had earlier put a stay order on the appeal committee’s decision and told the AIFF not to organise an awards ceremony to hand over the trophy to Churchill though it went ahead with it citing holiday at its secretariat on April 27.
🚨 CLUB STATEMENT 🚨
A victory at the CAS for us! 🧡#IndianFootball #ILeague #HarHarKashi #Kashi pic.twitter.com/f3mpirfCHp
— Inter Kashi (@InterKashi) June 17, 2025
Kashi have also moved CAS over re-registration of their foreign player Mario Barco after the appeal committee judged that it didn’t comply with I-League regulations.
The verdict in that case would decide the I-League championship after appeal committee declared Churchill the winners once they finished on top in the provisional standings with 40 points from 22 matches, a point more than Kashi.
Kashi were docked four points for re-registration of Barco, tumbling to fifth with 35 points but after Tuesday’s verdict Kashi would rise to second with 38 points, four behind Churchill while Namdhari would slip to sixth with 32 points.
“A victory at the CAS for us,” is how Kashi interpreted the judgement.
Inter Kashi had appealed to CAS against the AIFF appeal committee’s decision to award three points and three goals to Namdhari on account of forfeiture over fielding of an ineligible player. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
