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it was not possible for a decision on the merits to be issued within an hour, stated the CAS
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is hearing Vinesh Phogat's plea against her disqualification from the Olympics today. It also announced on Friday, August 9, 2024, that a decision on awarding a silver medal to the Indian wrestler will be reached before the end of the Olympics.
The CAS, an independent institution established in 1984 to address sport related disputes by way of arbitration and mediation, accepted Phogat's plea against her disqualification from the Olympics yesterday. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has appointed noted lawyer and former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve and Advocate Vidushpat Singhania, a specialist sports lawyer, to represent Vinesh.
Phogat was disqualified from the women's 50kg freestyle category final due to being 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in. The wrestler's disqualification has sparked controversy, with many questioning the strict weight-cutting rules in wrestling. According to United World Wrestling (UWW) competition rules, a wrestler's results will be invalidated if they fail to meet the weight requirements on either day of competition. In light of this, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr. PT Usha and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh made a joint request to UWW President Nenad Lalovic on Wednesday, seeking an exception for Vinesh Phogat. They appealed to Lalovic to spare Vinesh's results from the first day of competition from annulment, despite her inability to make the weight on the second day.
The Indian wrestler filed two appeals with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding her recent competition. The first appeal, seeking permission to participate in Thursday's wrestling final, was denied. However, the CAS has accepted her second appeal, which requests the awarding of a joint-silver medal.
The CAS released an official statement on Friday, detailing the progression of her appeal and the forthcoming steps. The CAS statement noted, “An application was filed at the CAS Ad hoc Division at 16:45 CEST on 7 August 2024 by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat (the Applicant) concerning the decision made by United World Wrestling (UWW) to replace her due to a failed second weigh-in before the gold medal match of the Women’s Freestyle 50kg competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, scheduled to begin at 18:15 CEST the same day (the Challenged Decision).”
“The Applicant initially sought a decision from the CAS Ad hoc Division annulling the Challenged Decision and ordering another weigh-in before the final match as well as a declaration that she be declared eligible and qualified to participate in the final. However, she did not request urgent interim measures. The CAS Ad hoc Division procedure is fast, but it was not possible for a decision on the merits to be issued within an hour, bearing in mind that the Respondent UWW would have had to be heard first. The procedure is, however, ongoing and the Applicant has confirmed that she seeks the annulment of the Challenged Decision and that she requests to be awarded a (shared) silver medal,” the statement mentioned.
The CAS also announced the appointment of Dr. Annabelle Bennett AC SC (AUS) as the Sole Arbitrator for the case. A hearing with both Vinesh Phogat and UWW occurred today, and a decision is anticipated before the conclusion of the Paris Olympics.
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