August 14th 2024.
The city of Paris was buzzing with excitement as Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat had a shot at securing an Olympic silver medal. However, her hopes were dashed when the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ad-hoc division rejected her appeal against a heartbreaking disqualification from the final for being just 100 grams overweight. This decision sparked a sharp reaction from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Vinesh, who is 29 years old, was disqualified from the women's 50kg freestyle final last week. Despite the deadline being extended until August 16th, the decision was made this evening and it was a short and simple one-liner. The CAS order read, "The Ad-Hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sports renders the following decision: The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on 7th August, 2024 is dismissed."
In her appeal, Vinesh pleaded for a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semifinals but was promoted to the final due to the Indian's disqualification. The gold medal was won by American wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt. The President of IOA, PT Usha, expressed shock and disappointment at the turn of events. The association also criticized the inhumane regulations of United World Wrestling, which fail to consider the physical and mental stresses faced by athletes.
According to Vinesh's fellow wrestler and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, she is scheduled to return to India from Paris on Saturday. The IOA stated that they will continue to explore legal options, but it seems that the matter has been closed for now. They said, "The operative part of the August 14 decision, which dismisses Vinesh's application to be awarded a shared silver medal in the women's 50 kg category at the Paris Olympic Games, has significant implications for her in particular and the sporting community at large."
The IOA stands firmly behind Vinesh and is determined to ensure that her case is heard. With Vinesh's appeal being rejected, India's medal tally for the Paris Olympics stands at six, including one silver and five bronze medals. The Haryana wrestler, who was participating in her third Olympics, had gone to extreme measures to stay within the weight limit, such as cutting her hair and not consuming food or water. However, these efforts were in vain as she was still disqualified.
Vinesh filed an appeal with the CAS the day after her disqualification, and in an emotional social media post, she also announced her retirement from the sport. The IOA stated, "The marginal discrepancy of 100 grams and the resulting consequences have a profound impact, not only on Vinesh's career but also raise serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation." They also mentioned that the strict and, arguably, inhumane regulations fail to take into account the physical and mental stresses that athletes, especially female athletes, endure.
The IOA believes that this ruling is a stark reminder of the need for more equitable and reasonable standards that prioritize the well-being of athletes. Many people, including top athletes like javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, hockey star P R Sreejesh, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, showed support for Vinesh and advocated for her to be awarded a silver medal. On the other hand, powerful figures like International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach and UWW head Nenad Lalovic stated that rules cannot be bent, as it can have wider implications.
Is it possible to appeal against a CAS decision? According to their website, it is allowed, but the procedure is so strict that the chances of getting relief are slim. It states, "Judicial recourse to the Swiss Federal Tribunal is allowed on a very limited number of grounds, such as lack of jurisdiction, violation of elementary procedural rules, or incompatibility with public policy." Vinesh had a team of French lawyers, Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim, and Charles Amson, who assisted her and the IOA during the appeal process. They were provided by the Paris Bar and were working on the case pro bono. Additionally, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania were also involved in helping Vinesh with her case.
The CAS ad-hoc division, which was specially set up for dispute resolution during the Olympics, had accepted Vinesh's appeal against her disqualification on Friday of last week. PTI
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