NEW DELHI, Aug 13: The suspense over awarding the ace Indian disqualified wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s a joint silver medal continues as the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has once again deferred its decision till August 16, prolonging the Indian wrestler’s wait for a resolution.
Earlier the verdict was scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday evening.
The 29-year-old Vinesh Phogat who made history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to enter the final, was disqualified from the women’s 50kg free-style final for being 100gm overweight at the time of weigh-in on Wednesday last week. “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 p.m. (Paris time) on Friday, August 16, 2024,” a release from the IOA said.
The star Indian wrestler then appealed to the CAS, an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration, to give her joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to her in the semi-finals but was promoted to the final following the Indian’s disqualification. She made the appeal based on the fact that she was within the permissible weight limit on the first day of competition when she won three bouts to enter the final.
(Manas Dasgupta)