The Court of Arbitration for Sport already has decentralised offices in New York and Sydney ©Getty Images

New Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Keith Joseph has welcomed moves to set up a decentralised office of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the Caribbean.

"I think by the middle of next year we should have a major discussion and this option seems to be the best," Joseph told insidethegames.

Joseph admitted there was still reticence in some areas but leading Caribbean sports lawyer Tyrone Marcus believes discussions have already made the establishment of a CAS office in the region more likely.

"We have some of the key stakeholders in the region saying 'yes this is a great idea let’s see how we can support it',” Marcus told the CANOC General Assembly here.

Travel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has proved expensive for many athletes from the Caribbean ©Getty Images
Travel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has proved expensive for many athletes from the Caribbean ©Getty Images

The CAS has headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and many athletes from outside Europe have found it expensive and time-consuming to make the trip for hearings.

"We had one Jamaican athlete who had to go through legal aid to be able to go to Switzerland to have his particular matter heard," Marcus explained. 

"That is one of the reasons why we are saying 'let’s have something that’s local.'"

CAS has already established "decentralised offices" in both Sydney, Australia and in New York in the United States.

"The expertise is here, we have people who are trained in sports law right through the region and these people understand our cultural differences," Marcus added.