The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has further delayed the verdict for Vinesh Phogat’s plea on Tuesday, August 13. This is the third time that the sports court has extended its time limit on the matter. The court is now expected to announce its verdict on August 16, Friday by 9:30 pm IST. Phogat had originally challenged her disqualification from the Paris Olympics and had appealed to be given a joint silver medal in the women’s 50kg category. The court on Tuesday said in a statement that it will be further delaying the verdict in the case where Phogat and the Indian Olympic Association have challenged the International Olympic Committee and the United World Wrestling’s decision.

“By application of Article 18 of the CAS Arbitration Rules for the Olympic Games, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the time-limit for the Panel to give a decision until 16 August 2024 at 18h00 (Paris time),.” CAS’s ad-hoc division has said.

WHAT IS ARTICLE 18?

During the period of the OG, the Panel shall give a decision within 24 hours from the conclusion of the hearing or, if no hearing is held, from the conclusion of the evidentiary proceedings, subject to Article 20. In exceptional cases, this time limit may be extended by the President or the Deputy President of the CAS ADD if circumstances so require. Outside the period of the OG, the Panel shall give a decision within a reasonable time.

WHAT WAS VINESH’S APPEAL?

Vinesh, in her appeal, had initially requested the ad-hoc bench of the CAS to nullify the IOC’s disqualification have another weigh-in and allow her to compete in the final. However, she did not request urgent interim measures. The ad-hoc bench of the CAS delivered its verdict fast, but it was not able to even hear the parties before the final, which was scheduled on Thursday evening. Vinesh then made it clear in her appeal that she wanted the disqualification to be reversed and she be awarded a joint silver medal. However, the United World Wrestling chief Nenad Lalovic, in an interview to India Today, said he empathised with Vinesh, but insisted that rules were adhered to before it disqualified the Indian wrestler.

Even as the verdict was delayed, IOA chief PT Usha defended Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala amid scrutiny from social media after Vinesh missed the weight on the day of her final. Usha said it was the responsibility of the athlete and her coaches to work and make the weight. Questions were, meanwhile, asked about the fairness of two-day weigh-ins at the Olympic Games. American wrestling great Jordan Burroughs urged United World Wrestling to rethink its rules and allow a 1kg weight allowance for the weigh-in on the second day. He also argued that both semi-finalists should be awarded Olympic medals instead of having a repechage format that offers lifelines to wrestlers who lost to eventual finalists.

WHY WAS VINESH PHOGAT DISQUALIFIED?

Vinesh was disqualified from her women’s 50kg gold medal match after failing a weigh-in ahead of the final. Vinesh was found 100 grams overweight on the second day of the weigh-in. Vinesh had cleared the weigh-in on the opening day of the event and went on to win three matches and reach the final. One of those three victories included a sensational upset of Yui Susaki, the Japanese wrestler, who had an 82-0 international record until facing the Indian on the mat on Tuesday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified Vinesh Phogat and allowed Cuba’s Guzman Uzneylys, who lost to the Indian in the semi-final, to compete in the gold medal bout against USA’s Sarah Ann Hilderbrant on August 7.

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