Bhubaneswar: The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) will announce the final verdict on Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s plea against her disqualification from the Paris Olympic by 9.30 pm (IST) on Saturday.
“By application of Article 18 of the CAS Arbitration Rules form the Olympic Games, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the time limit for the Panel to give a decision until 10 August 2024 at 18h00 (Paris time),” a statement from the CAS said.
In her appeal, Vinesh has also requested a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez as she was found 100-gram overweight after she won the semi-final in the 50kg category against her. She was disqualified from the Olympics on the morning of her gold medal bout against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the USA after failing the weigh-in process. Lopez replaced her in the summit clash but lost to Hildebrandt.
The Indian wrestler was represented by a team of French lawyers as well as high-profile senior advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania. They argued that the weight gain on Tuesday evening was due to the body’s natural recovery process and that’s not a fraud.
After the hearing on Friday, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said that it was expecting a “positive resolution”. “Indian Olympic Association remained hopeful of a positive resolution of wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s application before the Ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her failed weigh-in,” the IOA said in a statement.
