In an interview with Reuters this week, Roshan Anand, AHF secretary-general, poured scorn on the allegations of cheating, suggesting that Japan and South Korea were sore losers.

"These complaints came only from the losers," Anand said.

"Everyone wants to win and everyone complains when they are the losing team. The judging was as normal."

He denied there was a switch of referees moments before Kuwait's match with South Korea, which Kuwait won 28-20, and said the Gulf team were the rightful winners.

"The officials were not replaced. Kuwait has qualified for the Olympics," he added. "They are the representatives of Asia and that is that."

Oh No-kyun, who teaches sports diplomacy at South Korea's Chung Cheong University, said political influence weighed heavy on sport and national federations needed to push for change.

"The reality is that politics underlines sports," he told the Yonhap news agency when asked about the handball standoff.

"We have no choice but to step up our appeals to international organisations to correct injustices."