Vinesh’s appeal against a heartbreaking disqualification from the Paris Olympics 50kg final for being 100 grams overweight was rejected by the ad hoc division of the CAS on Wednesday, ending any hopes of securing a belated silver medal.
We’ve all felt that frustration when something important is delayed, and today, many of us are feeling that as we await the CAS ruling on Vinesh Phogat. But here’s a thought: this is something similar to what happens to athletes every four years, waiting for a new opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games…
– Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 13, 2024
“It is disappointing but we can’t do anything about it,” hockey legend PR Sreejesh, who retired after inspiring the Indian team to a second consecutive Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games, told PTI Videos.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia said Vinesh had a medal snatched from him.
“I think your medal was snatched from you in this darkness. You are shining like a diamond in the entire world today,” Punia, who led a long sit-in protest along with Vinesh and Sakshi Malik accusing former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing female wrestlers, posted on ‘X’.
“Pride of Hindustan World Champion Rustam-e-Hind Vinesh Phogat, you are the Kohinoor of the country. It is Vinesh Phogat all over the world. Those who want medals can buy them for Rs 15 each,” he wrote alongside a picture of Vinesh sporting various medals.
Vinesh, 29, was disqualified on the morning of the women’s 50kg freestyle final last week.
In her appeal, Vinesh had demanded that she be given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semi-finals but was promoted to the showpiece clash after the Indian’s disqualification.
Mom won the wrestling match with me, I lost, I’m sorry, your dream, my courage is broken, I have no more strength than this now.
Goodbye Lucha Libre 2001-2024 🙏
I will always be indebted to all of you, I’m sorry.
– Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
The gold medal went to American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.
The decision on Vinesh’s appeal was postponed three times. Despite the deadline being extended to August 16 for announcing the verdict, the decision against the star wrestler came out on Wednesday evening in a terse, one-line statement.
“It’s sad news, but what can we say? A sportsperson works very hard and if something like this happens to someone, it hurts. For us, Vinesh is a star and will always be,” hockey player Jarmanpreet Singh said.
Her teammate Amit Rohidas said “the whole of India is with her.”
“She should hold her head high. She is a champion for us and for the country.” National wrestling coach Virendra Dahiya called the CAS decision “unfortunate.”
“It is a great misfortune and a blow for us. We had high hopes that the decision would be in our favour, but it is a disgrace for the Indian struggle and for the country,” he said.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr PT Usha has expressed shock and disappointment over the decision of the sole arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to dismiss the application of wrestler Vinesh Phogat against the United World Wrestling (UWW) and… image.twitter.com/8OWDh3UT8O
— AIN (@ANI) August 14, 2024
Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha also expressed “shock and disappointment” at the turn of events.
The body also criticised the “inhumane regulations” of United World Wrestling (UWW) that do not take into account the “physiological and psychological stress faced by athletes”.
The IOA had hired senior advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania to assist Vinesh in his case.
“The CAS decision was really disappointing. We had high hopes, Vinesh was the one who worked the hardest. After the deadline was extended, we thought that the lady arbitrator was thinking and that decision might be in our favour. But it was dismissed with a one-line statement,” Singhania said.
Read also: At Red Fort, PM Modi outlines India’s dream of hosting 2036 Olympics
“We have to wait for the detailed order, we have to see what is written there and accordingly we will take a decision on the future course of action.” Asked what Vinesh’s argument was, he said, “The UWW (the world governing body of wrestling) had argued that rules are rules and if it (the weight category) is 50kg, only 50kg is allowed and nothing more.
“Our request was different because the human rights aspect has to be taken into account, there is ambiguity in the rules, there is no clarity in the rules. But it seems that our request has been rejected and the reason for that will be known only when the detailed order is out.” Vinesh is expected to return home on Saturday.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.