Paris: A decision on the appeal submitted by wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the finals, is expected to be delivered on Sunday. Although it was initially reported that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) would deliver its verdict on Saturday night, the decision has been postponed to Sunday. The athlete had completed her arguments at the sports court, requesting the award of a silver medal. Senior lawyers Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania represented Vinesh Phogat. The court heard arguments for about three hours. If the verdict is in her favor, she will be awarded the silver medal. Phogat was supposed to face Sarah Hildebrandt from the USA in the final.
Although Phogat reached the finals in the 50 kg wrestling category at the Olympics, she was disqualified due to a failure in weight checks. She secured a place in the finals by defeating Cuba’s Yusnelis Guzman in the semifinals. This also made her the first Indian woman to reach the finals in Olympic wrestling.
The disqualification by the Olympic Association was a significant blow to Phogat and India, as she was confident of winning a medal. The court had previously indicated that a verdict on the matter would be delivered before the end of the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Olympic gold medalist Rei Higuchi has come out in support of Vinesh Phogat. He urged her to withdraw her retirement announcement and expressed understanding of her pain. He claimed that Phogat was disqualified for being just 50 grams overweight. In a statement shared on social media, Higuchi said there is nothing more beautiful than a comeback.
