CAS Decision on Vinesh Phogat Postponed Once More; New Date Scheduled for August 16

Paris: The suspense surrounding Vinesh Phogat's plea against her Olympic disqualification stays,as the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport has extended the time limit to issue its decision until August 16, without giving proper reasons for the continuous delay. The 29-year-old wrestler was disqualified from the women's 50 kg freestyle final last Wednesday for being 100 grams overweight at the weigh-in.

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 pm (Paris time) on Friday, August 16, 2024," a release from the IOA said.

This marks the third postponement in the case, with no reasons provided for the delay.

In her appeal, Vinesh is requesting that she be awarded a joint silver medal alongside Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who, after losing to her in the semifinals, advanced to the final due to Vinesh's disqualification.

Vinesh's legal team includes French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim, and Charles Amson. They were appointed by the Paris Bar and are representing her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) pro bono.

Also, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania have been enrolled to help with the issue.

Intriguingly, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had anticipated an online press conference featuring its president, PT Usha, and balm for the same time the judgment was expected this evening. However, the invitation was rapidly withdrawn following the CAS statement.

Vinesh, competing in her third Olympic Games, announced her retirement from the sport the day after her disqualification, citing a lack of strength to continue.

The bronze medalist from the World Championships had taken drastic measures to avoid disqualification, such as cutting her hair, abstaining from food and water, and working out throughout the night. She essentially required IV fluids due to severe dehydration, which gathered widespread affinity.

Notable athletes such as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, hockey star P.R. Sreejesh, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar have all voiced their support for Vinesh Phogat and prescribe for her to be awarded a silver medal.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach expressed empathy for her circumstances but also questioned the consequence of making concessions in such cases.

"I have a certain understanding for the wrestler; it's clearly a human touch," Bach said on Friday.

"Now that the appeal is with CAS, we will ultimately adhere to their decision. However, the international wrestling federation must interpret and apply their rules, which is their responsibility."

Despite this, Nenad Lalovic, chief of United World Wrestling (UWW), expressed skepticism about any changes to the results, emphasizing that they are strictly adhering to the rules.

"I am so sorry for what happened, but no matter the size of your country, athletes are athletes. This weigh-in was public, everyone saw what happened. How can we allow someone to compete when we all saw what happened.

"We don't have any other choice but to follow our rules," Lalovic had said.

The CAS ad-hoc division, established specifically for resolving disputes during the Games, accepted Vinesh's appeal against her disqualification last Friday.