The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is expected to commence the hearing for Vinesh Phogat’s appeal at approximately 9:30 am Paris time (1 pm IST) on August 9, 2024. An interim verdict is anticipated about an hour later, offering a potential lifeline for Phogat and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the wake of her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a significant development, CAS’s preliminary assessment on Thursday indicated that Vinesh’s plea for a joint silver medal in the women’s 50kg wrestling category has merit. This comes after Vinesh faced a devastating blow just hours before her gold-medal bout against USA’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt when she was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in process.
Vinesh made history by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, her dream of clinching gold was abruptly cut short. Following her disqualification, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, whom Vinesh defeated in the semi-finals, was elevated to the final. Guzman ultimately lost to Hildebrandt, securing the fourth gold medal for the USA in women’s wrestling.
The disqualification left Vinesh devastated. Despite the IOA officials and her coaches making desperate appeals to reverse the decision, including drastic measures like cutting her hair, going sleepless for the night, and severely limiting her water intake for over 12 hours, the outcome remained unchanged. The United World Wrestling (UWW) enforces strict rules mandating that all wrestlers must meet the permissible weight limit during the weigh-in on each match day. Vinesh’s failure to comply led to her exclusion from medal contention.
As the hearing at CAS approaches, the Indian wrestling community and sports fans worldwide remain hopeful that Vinesh’s plea will be heard favorably, potentially allowing her to receive a joint silver medal for her efforts in the tournament. The outcome of the hearing could have significant implications for her career and for the representation of Indian wrestlers on the global stage.
