Former Solicitor General of India and King’s Counsel, Senior Advocate Harish Salve, will represent the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case involving wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024.
According to reports, Phogat was set to compete in the wrestling final against America’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the 50-kilogram (kg) category. However, she was disqualified from the final for being ‘overweight’ by approximately 100 grams, weighing in at 50.1 kg instead of the 50 kg limit.
Following her disqualification, Phogat approached CAS to challenge the decision, and the case is scheduled to be heard at 12:30 pm IST on August 9.
Phogat’s team has requested that CAS award her a joint-silver medal, maintaining her ranking from the first day of the tournament, as she had fairly won three matches in accordance with the rules.
The competition spans two days, with wrestlers being weighed on both days as per regulations set by United World Wrestling (UWW), the international body governing wrestling events at the Olympics. Wrestlers who fail to meet the weight requirement on either day are disqualified and lose their standing in the competition.
Reports indicate that while Phogat met the weight requirement on the first day, she exceeded it on the second day, leading to her disqualification despite having successfully reached the final by defeating all her opponents on day one when she complied with the weight limit.
