New Delhi/Paris, Aug. 13 -- The suspense over Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification from the Olympic women's 50kg freestyle final has been extended yet again. The Court of Arbitration for Sport's ad-hoc division has deferred the decision until August 16, without providing any explanation for the continued delay.
The 29-year-old grappler was disqualified after being found 100 grams overweight at the weigh-in last week. In her appeal, she sought a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who replaced her in the final.
"The CAS ad hoc division president has allowed Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, Sole Arbitrator in the Vinesh Phogat vs United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) matter, an extension until 6:00 pm (Paris time) on Friday, August 16, 2024," a release from the IOA said.
This is the third deferment in the case and no reasons have been given.
Vinesh's legal team has French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim and Charles Amson who helped her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during the filing of the application. They have been provided to her by the Paris Bar and are handling the case pro bono. In addition, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania were also roped in to help her in the case. Interestingly, the IOA had sent out invites for an online press conference with its president PT Usha and Salve at the exact same time at which the verdict was expected this evening. That invite was withdrawn within minutes of the CAS statement.
Vinesh Phogat, a world championships bronze medalist, announced her retirement from wrestling the day after her disqualification, citing the emotional and physical toll the situation had taken on her. In her efforts to make weight, Phogat resorted to extreme measures, including cutting her hair, fasting, and working out throughout the night. Her ordeal evoked sympathy and support from prominent athletes, including javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, hockey star PR Sreejesh, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who have all advocated for her to be awarded a silver medal. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach acknowledged the emotional nature of the situation, but emphasized the importance of adhering to established rules. "I must say, I have a certain understanding for the wrestler; it's clearly a human touch," Bach commented. "But, again, the international (wrestling) federation, they have to apply their interpretation, their rules. This is their responsibility."
United World Wrestling (UWW) Chief Nenad Lalovic expressed doubt that the results would change, citing the necessity of adhering to the rules. "This weigh-in was public, everyone saw what happened. How can we allow someone to compete when we all saw what happened. We don't have any other choice but to follow our rules," Lalovic stated.with agency inputs
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.