On May 11, 2026, HIAC successfully hosted a special lecture titled “Maritime Sports Arbitration and Dispute Resolution.” The lecture was delivered by Professor Peter Koh Soon Kwang, Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of World Athletics, and Appointed Legal Counsel for the 2023 Asian Games.

Centered on the theme of maritime sports arbitration and dispute resolution, Professor Koh noted that maritime sports cover a broad range of disciplines, including sailing, canoeing, marathon swimming, and powerboat racing. Given the international nature of such events, disputes often involve multiple jurisdictions and the concurrent application of different legal systems. During the lecture, Professor Koh provided a comprehensive analysis of both the theoretical foundations and practical approaches to maritime sports arbitration. His presentation addressed a number of key topics, including the nature and fundamental principles of maritime sports, the jurisprudential contributions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the dominant role of Swiss law in sports-related cases, the influence of the Olympic Movement, the organizational structures of domestic and international maritime sports institutions, sports ethics, and arbitration procedures in sports disputes. Drawing on a series of real-world cases, Professor Koh further examined issues such as doping, match-fixing, competition manipulation, and corruption in sports. He emphasized the serious threat these practices pose to the integrity and fairness of sporting competitions and called on all stakeholders to work together to uphold the spirit of fair play.

During the Q&A session, participants engaged in in-depth discussions with Professor Koh on topics including the applicable law in maritime sports arbitration, the enforcement of CAS awards, the self-regulatory mechanisms of international sports federations, and potential pathways for the development of maritime sports arbitration in Hainan.

The lecture was moderated by Ms. Liu Juan, Deputy Director of the International Mediation Center of our institution and was conducted in a hybrid format combining in-person attendance with online livestreaming. Arbitrators, mediators, arbitration secretaries, university student representatives, lawyers from various law firms, and corporate representatives attended the event onsite, while nearly 200 participants joined via the online livestream.