The decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against her disqualification from the Olympic finals has been postponed until August 13. According to media reports, “The ad hoc division of CAS has extended the deadline to 6:00 p.m. on August 11, 2024, for the Sole Arbitrator, Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, to deliver a decision in the case of Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee. The detailed order will be issued at a later date.”
Senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania have been appointed to represent Vinesh before the CAS ad hoc division during the hearing.
Vinesh Phogat requested a joint silver medal
Initially, when Vinesh Phogat was disqualified, she requested to be allowed to contest the gold medal match, but unfortunately, that did not happen. However, she has now asked to be awarded a joint silver medal, as she had defeated Guzmán 5-0 in the semifinal. It is now up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to decide whether the Indian wrestler should be given a joint silver medal with the Cuban wrestler. For those unaware, CAS is an independent organisation established in 1984, serving as arbitrators or mediators to resolve sports disputes.
Vinesh Phogat’s Paris Olympics journey
Vinesh Phogat began her Paris Olympics campaign with a stunning victory over four-time World Champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Yui Susaki in the round of 16, breaking Susaki’s 82-match winning streak.
Building on this miraculous win, Vinesh defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals and then easily beat Guzmán 5-0 in the semifinals. With these victories, Vinesh became the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final, securing a medal at the Paris Olympics.
However, the next morning, she was disqualified for missing her weight by 100 grammes. The 29-year-old, who hadn’t slept or had anything to drink after her semifinal, even considered drawing blood to lose weight, but nothing worked. She was soon hospitalised due to dehydration. Now, with all hope seemingly lost, the only ray of light left is the forthcoming verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
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