Vinesh Phogat appeal to CAS: Paris Olympics over, but wrestler awaits verdict on Tuesday

Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against her disqualification at the Paris Olympics due to missing the weight cut by 100gms will find a resolution on Tuesday as Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), having heard arguments of all parties, gets ready to deliver the verdict.

Vinesh stormed into the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event after starting her campaign with a stunning win over wrestling royalty Yui Susaki of Japan last Tuesday. But on the second day of the event, she was debarred from the gold medal bout against eventual winner Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States as she was marginally above the prescribed limit in the customary morning weigh-in.

Vinesh appealed against the decision by UWW, arguing that she be given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Vinesh but was later promoted to the final following the Indian’s disqualification. A day after her disqualification, Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport, saying she doesn’t have the strength to continue, even as sporting icons from across the world threw their weight behind the 29-year-old wrestler who was appearing at her third Olympic Games.

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.

Vinesh Phogat after winning her Women’s Freestyle 50kg Round of 16 wrestling match against Japan’s Yui Susaki at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France. (PTI Photo/File)

IOA president PT Usha on Sunday said that any attack on the contingent’s medical team, especially Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, around the Vinesh saga is unacceptable.

The former athlete said in a statement that, “…the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team. The hate directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr. Pardiwala, is unacceptable and worthy of condemnation.”

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“Each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have been working with the athletes over so many years,” Usha said. “The IOA appointed a medical team a couple of months ago, primarily as a team that would assist in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competition. This team was also designed to support athletes who did not have their own team of nutritionists and physiotherapists.”

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