August 10th 2024.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport's ad-hoc division in Paris is taking extra time to carefully consider Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification from the women's 50kg free-style final at the Olympic Games. The decision, originally expected to be announced on Saturday, has been postponed until August 13th.
Vinesh, 29, was disqualified for being 100gm overweight during the weigh-in on Wednesday. The verdict on her appeal was eagerly awaited, but the Indian Olympic Association caused confusion by first stating that it would be announced on Sunday, before clarifying that it would actually be on the 13th.
In their statement, the IOA explained that the ad-hoc division of CAS had extended the time for the Sole Arbitrator, Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, to make her decision. The reference to August 11 in their earlier communication was simply the deadline for all parties to submit any additional documents.
The Indian Olympic Association apologized for any confusion or inconvenience caused by the delay. The Olympic Games will come to a close on Sunday with a ceremony at Stade de France, the venue for track and field events.
The CAS ad-hoc division, created specifically for dispute resolution during the Games, had accepted Vinesh's appeal on Friday. She is hoping to be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh but was later promoted to the final due to her disqualification. American Sarah Hildebrandt ultimately won the gold by defeating Lopez in the final.
Vinesh was represented by renowned senior advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania. After her disqualification, she announced her retirement on social media, feeling crestfallen and disappointed.
The United World Wrestling has already stated that they are not in favor of making an exception for Vinesh, although they may consider reforms to the rules in the future. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach shares this view.
India finished the Games with six medals - one silver and five bronze. Two of those bronze medals were won by pistol shooter Manu Bhaker. The lone silver medal was claimed by Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion in the men's javelin throw.
As Vinesh awaits the verdict, she continues to receive support from fellow athletes. Neeraj Chopra hopes that people will remember her contribution to the country, regardless of the outcome of her appeal. He believes that whether she receives the medal or not, her achievements should not be forgotten.
Japanese Olympic champion Rei Higuchi also offered his support to Vinesh. He understands her pain all too well, having been eliminated from the qualifiers of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for being just 50gm overweight. He lost a playoff bout and was unable to compete in his home Olympics, despite being highly rated at the time.
Higuchi commented on Vinesh's retirement announcement, saying he understands her pain and encouraging her to not worry about the voices around her. He believes that rising from setbacks is a beautiful thing and hopes she can take a good rest.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
