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Sports Disputes

This tag is associated with 16 posts

Hockey or Hookey? Case Review: Dhanraj Pillai & Ors v. M/S Hockey India (Case No. 73/2011)

By Nihal Zachariah Introduction On May 31, 2013, the Competition Commission of India (the “Commission”) passed an order in the case of Dhanraj Pillay & Ors v. M/S Hockey India (Case No. 73/2011), and cleared Hockey India (“HI”) and the International Hockey Federation (“FIH”) from allegations of abuse of dominant position and anti-competitive practices. However, … Continue reading

Hands-off my Database: Case Comment on Football Dataco v. SportsRadar

By Abhinav Shrivastava Introduction On October 18, 2012, the European Court of Justice (“Court”), through its opinion in Football Dataco v. Sportradar (Case C-173/11 of the Court of Justice of the European Union), recognised the rights of sporting bodies to control access to and limit the utilisation of their databases comprising of match fixtures and … Continue reading

Luck of the Irish? Understanding Oakley’s Suit against Rory McIlroy and Nike

By Roshan Gopalakrishna Introduction On 15 December, 2012, Oakley, Inc. (“Oakley”) filed a suit against golfer Rory McIlroy (“McIlroy”) and competitor Nike Inc. (“Nike”) in a federal court at Santa Ana, California. Oakley’s claim is that McIlroy breached the endorsement agreement signed between them, more particularly the ‘right of first refusal’ clause therein, by reportedly … Continue reading

Due Process: Case Comment on Azharuddin v. Board of Control for Cricket in India

By Abhinava Shrivastava Introduction On November 8, 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court (“Court”) overturned the life-ban handed out to former Indian cricket captain, Mohammad Azharuddin (“Azharuddin”) by the Disciplinary Committee (“Committee”) of Board of Control for Cricket in India (“BCCI”) in 2000 for his alleged engagement in match-fixing. Factual Background In response to allegations … Continue reading

Howzzat! Appeal Process in Sports

By Fatema Merchant Introduction The excitement and frenzy surrounding a sporting event is usually fuelled by contentious umpiring and referee decisions which may whip up mixed reactions depending on whose favour they are in. The referee and other officials presiding over a match more often than not operate under high pressure which only swells as … Continue reading

What a Racket! Fair Play and the Olympic Games

By Nandan Kamath “The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Baron Pierre Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympics. Introduction In the recently concluded London 2012 Olympic Games (“Games”), eight female badminton players from three Asian nations … Continue reading

In-Competition Dispute Resolution

By Roshan Gopalakrishna Introduction The ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was set up to operate from the venues of major sporting event such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games etc. with the intention to expeditiously resolve the disputes arising during such games. According to Article 61.2 of the Olympic Charter, “Any dispute … Continue reading

Love-all: Indian Olympic Team Selections and Athlete Remedies

By Fatema Merchant Introduction An opportunity to represent the country at international sporting events is a highpoint in every athlete’s career. Athletes commit to training persistently for years in pursuance of this objective. In India, the Indian Olympic Association (“IOA”) performs the crucial function of finalizing athletes to represent India at the Olympics and other … Continue reading

Player Selection Disputes: Comparative Legal Analysis

By Roshan Gopalakrishna Introduction One of the most challenging tasks for any national or international governing body of a sport is the development of fool proof criteria for team selection. However, a large part of the selection process comprises a subjective element that cannot be quantified. Therefore, prior to any major sporting event, and, particularly … Continue reading

A Comparative View of Organizers’ Liability for Player Injuries

By Nandan Kamath Introduction The inherent nature of sports tempts the participants to pursue excellence in their quest to reach the pinnacle. However, one of the major challenges faced by the athlete in such a pursuit is injuries. Injuries in sports mostly result from the risks indigenous to the sporting activity; however, occasionally they are … Continue reading

Gridiron Games: Analysing the NFL Concussion Litigation

By Fatema Merchant “Football isn’t a contact sport; it’s a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport.” -Duffy Daughtery, former American football player and coach Introduction With an average team value of over 1 billion USD, the National Football League (“NFL”) is the most valuable sports business in the world. Formed in 1920, it is divided … Continue reading

Doping in Professional Cycling: Legends of the Fall or the Fall of Legends?

By Roshan Gopalakrishna “I sometimes used to sit on my bike, weeping with the pain.” – Eddy Merckx, former Belgian professional cyclist. 3.1 CAS 2011/A/2384 UCI v. Alberto Contador Velasco and RFEC; CAS 2011/A/2386 WADA v. Alberto Contador Velasco and RFEC.  Introduction On February 6, 2012 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (‘CAS’) delivered its … Continue reading

Collective Bargaining in American Sport

By Nandan Kamath Introduction Collective Bargaining is a mechanism involving discussions and negotiations between one or more employers and the representatives of the group of employees, with a view to determine mutually agreed upon terms and conditions of employment and other affiliated matters. Although collective bargaining has had its presence almost in perpetuity in the … Continue reading

The NBA Lockout

By Nandan Kamath Introduction On the 137th day of the National Basketball Association (NBA) labour lockout, the players finally decided to dissolve the National Basketball Player’s Association (NBPA), after attempts to carve an amicable Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to between the franchise owners and the NBPA proved to be unsuccessful. This extreme measure was taken … Continue reading

Player Bans in Sport

By Vidya Narayanaswamy Introduction A player ban is a form of sanction imposed on a player for breaching sporting rules or regulations or any other general code of conduct or ethics applicable to the player. The length of the ban varies based on the seriousness of the breach, but the most extreme form of player … Continue reading

Hockey’s New Professional League and Player Participation

By Nandan Kamath Background Hockey India (“HI”) recently cracked the whip by slapping a two-year ban on star players Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh – a ban that has reportedly since been revoked. The ban was purportedly a result of the players attending a function organised by World Series Hockey (WSH), without permission, in the … Continue reading