File photo of Vinesh Phogat
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced a fresh deadline to deliver the verdict on Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal on Tuesday. Vinesh and her fans all across India might have to wait till August 16 to hear from the court after the wrestler appealed for a silver medal to be granted to her following her disqualification from the Women's 50kg freestyle final over failed weigh-in. While a delay in the verdict signals Vinesh's strengthening grip on the case, the court also has to consider the ramifications of the verdict, if given in the wrestler's favour.
If Vinesh does get a joint-silver medal despite weighing 100 grams more on the morning of her final, the verdict is likely to change the way wrestling as a sport will be played in future editions of the Olympic Games.
It has been learned that the court doesn't want to rush into a decision and want to analyse every single detail, hence the delay.
Arguments Made By Vinesh Phogat's Counsel:
Vinesh's counsel, in front of the sole arbitrar Dr. Annabelle Bennett, highlighted the negligible advantage over 100 gram weight gain among multiple arguments. As the wait continues, here are the arguments made by Vinesh's counsel:
"The excess of 100g is extremely negligible (representing around 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the athlete's weight) and can easily be caused by the bloating of a human body during summer weather, as the heat makes the human body retain more water, scientifically for survival purposes. It can also be due to muscle mass increase as the athlete competed three times on the same day. It can also be caused by the food consumption of the athlete after the competitions to sustain her health and integrity for the demanding competitions," Vinesh's counsel had submitted.
"There would be a manifest disproportion between the level of excess (which excludes any attempt at fraud or manipulation of the athlete) and the irreversible consequences that would result from her non-participation in the finals in addition to the deprivation of her silver medal that was acquired by hard work."
Vinesh had reached the gold medal match in Paris Olympics by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals.
The wrestler was set to face Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States in the summit clash but was disqualified for the weight limit breach.
A day after her disqualification, Vinesh also delivered the heart-breaking news of her retirement from wrestling.