Vinesh Phogat’s Appeal Against Olympic Disqualification Accepted by CAS; Hearing Tomorrow

Paris: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has accepted Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against her disqualification from the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final at the Olympics. Phogat, who was 100 grams over the weight limit at the weigh-in, was disqualified, impacting her chances of medal contention.

CAS on Thursday agreed to hear Phogat’s case and has scheduled a hearing for Friday at 10 am IST. The Indian government has reportedly sought the expertise of renowned lawyer Harish Salve to represent Phogat. The Indian team has until 6 pm Paris time to confirm their legal representation. CAS has extended the deadline for appointing a lawyer to 9:30 am IST on Thursday.

Phogat made two appeals to CAS: the first, to participate in Thursday’s final, which was denied, and the second, seeking a joint-silver medal, which is now under consideration. The hearing was rescheduled to accommodate the Indian camp’s efforts to secure legal representation.

During the Olympics, Phogat showcased exceptional skill, defeating Japan’s defending champion Yui Susaki, who previously had an unbeaten record. She also bested Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-finals. Despite her disqualification, Guzman Lopez went on to compete in the final but lost to Sarah Hilderbrandt of the United States.