Vinesh Phogat CAS appeal: India expects ‘positive resolution’ after 3-hour hearing

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s hearing of Vinesh Phogat’s plea against her Olympic disqualification lasted three hours on Friday, August 9 in Paris.

The Indian wrestler, who appeared for the hearing virtually, argued her case, trying to convince the court. The CAS, an independent body, to facilitate the settlement of sports-related disputes through arbitration or mediation, registered Vinesh’s plea against her disqualification and listed the hearing on Friday evening.

Vinesh’s camp argued that the wrestler did not commit any fraud and her disqualification was because she was found 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in on the day of her gold medal match in the women’s 50kg wrestling on Wednesday, August 7.

Senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania, a renowned lawyer who has fought for many athletes in the past, represented Vinesh Phogat during the hearing. Dr Annabelle Bennett, from Australia, will be sitting as a Sole Arbitrator during the hearing in Paris.

India Today has learnt that both sides — Vinesh Phogat and her lawyers and the United World Wrestling (UWW) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) — argued for more than an hour each. The operational verdict of the case is expected sooner rather than later.

HOW DID TEAM INDIA ARGUE

Vinesh’s lawyers argued that the weight gain on Tuesday evening was due to the body’s natural recovery process and that it is the athlete’s fundamental right to look after his/her body. They argued her body weight was under the prescribed limit on Day 1 of the competition, and the weight gain only happened because of recovery and that’s not a fraud.

Indian Olympic Body Hopeful of ‘Positive Resolution’
The IOA, in a statement on Friday, said it’s hopeful of a positive resolution of the matter and thanked Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania for representing Vinesh virtually.

Since the matter is sub-judice, IOA can only state that the Sole Arbitrator Dr. Annabelle Bennett AC SC (Australia) heard all parties applicant Vinesh Phogat, the respondents United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee as well as IOA as an interested party over three hours.

Each of the parties was accorded an opportunity to file its detailed legal submissions prior to the hearing and then present oral arguments. It was indicated by the Sole Arbitrator that the operative part of the order may be expected soon, with a detailed order with reasons to follow thereafter.

“IOA deems its duty to back Vinesh and would like to reaffirm its steadfast, unflinching, and unwavering support to her, regardless of the outcome of this matter. We are proud of her countless achievements on the wrestling mat throughout her stellar career,” PT Usha said.

Notably, Vinesh Phogat had initially appealed to overturn her disqualification and hold another weigh-in, in a bid to compete in the women’s 50kg final, which was held on Thursday, August 7. However, the CAS was not able to act on the appeal with very limited time left for the final. By then, the International Olympic Committee had announced that the final would be played between Sarah Hilderbrandt and Yusnelys Guzman, who lost to Vinesh in the semi-final.

Vinesh then requested that she be given a joint-silver medal, for which the hearing got underway on Friday.