Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 10: The suspense over the disqualified ace Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s being awarded a shared silver medal in the Paris Olympics will continue for one more day as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has extended the deadline till Sunday to announce its verdict on her appeal.
A statement from the Indian Olympic Association on Saturday evening said, “The ad hoc division of CAS has extended time till 6-00 p.m. on August 11, 2024, for the Sole Arbitrator Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee to issue a decision. The reasoned order will be issued at a later date.
Earlier, the CAS had set the deadline till 9.30 P.M. on Saturday to deliver its verdict on the plea.
Vinesh was left heartbroken on Wednesday after it was announced she’d been found 100gm over the weight limit on the day of her gold medal match in the women’s freestyle 50kg event. She was then disqualified from the entire event meaning the Indian was also stripped of the guaranteed silver medal as a result of reaching the final.
A distraught Vinesh went on to announce her retirement from wrestling. The 29-year-old had stormed into the title clash after beating the then reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki in the pre-quarters, former European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinal and reigning Pan American Games champion Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba in the semi-final. Consequently, Guzman qualified for the final where she lost to Sarah Hildebrandt of USA.
IOA is hoping for a positive resolution. “Indian Olympic Association remained hopeful of a positive resolution of wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s application before the Ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her failed weigh-in,” the IOA said. Vinesh was represented by high-profile senior advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania.
Reacting to the situation, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Friday said he has a “certain understanding” for Vinesh but also wondered where one would draw the line after allowing small concessions in situations like hers.
“Looking at the federation or anybody to take such a decision, when and where do you make the cut? Do you say with 100gms, we give it but with 102(gms), we don’t give it anymore? What do you do then in sports where you have differences of one-thousandths of a second (in track events). Do you also then apply such deliberations?” he had said.
