The Court of Arbitration for Sport will have the final say on a row over who will represent Asia at this year's Olympic handball.

The Asian Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation have agreed to let CAS arbitrate in the matter.

The AHF has been joined in the case by the Kuwait and Kazakhstan handball federations who initially secured the continent's Olympic berths for their respective men's and women's teams at a qualifying event organised by the AHF.

The results of the tournament were later annulled by the IHF following complaints by the South Korean and Japanese federations of allegedly biased refereeing.

The two federations claimed that the Kuwait-based Asian Handball Federation had switched European referees for Middle Eastern officials who would rule in favour of the Kuwaitis and Kazakhs.

However AHF Secretary-General Roshan Anand last month poured scorn on the allegations and suggested Japan and South Korea were sore losers.

South Korea went on to secure an Olympic place in both the men's and women's event following a play-off against Japan in a replay of the qualifying event boycotted by the other Asian handball federations.

The AHF ha now asked CAS to nullify the replay and reinstate Kuwait and Kazakhstan as the region's representatives.

The court said that all parties had agreed to its jurisdiction in the case and that a hearing had been requested for the week commencing March 10.

Reuters