Fiji’s CG fate to be known in March

The Fiji Sports of Association and National Olympic will know if Fiji is still allowed to participate in the Commonwealth Games in India by the end of March.

FASANOC has taken their case to the Court of Arbitration of sports in Switzerland after the Commonwealth Games Federation made the decision to ban Fijian athletes from taking part in the 2010 CWG.

FASANOC president Vidhya Lakhan believed they had a strong case against CWG’s decision.

“Our appeal is based on the fact that, in our view, the Commonwealth Games Federation has erred in the interpretation of and application of its own constitution,” he said.

The CWG constitution clearly states that “all competitors in the CWG must be citizens or subjects of the Commonwealth country that enters them.”

“It has been confirmed to us by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat that, even though Fiji is fully suspended, it is still a member of the Commonwealth. If this is the case then Fijian athletes, in our view, can participate in the Delhi Games,” Lakhan said.

FASANOC has opted for a three member tribunal to sort their case – a QC from New Zealand will act for FASANOC, the CWG is expected to nominate a candidate CAS will appoint a third member, who Lakhan believes will be the Chairperson.

“We have requested they make their decision known by the end of March because we have athletes still training, hoping to participate. We want to know now before athletes are sent overseas for international exposure,” Lakhan added.