Vinesh Phogat submits appeal to CAS against Olympic disqualification

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Wednesday appealed against her disqualification from the 50kg category finals of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 in the Court of Arbitration for Sports CAS demanding that she be awarded a joint silver medalAn IOA source in the visiting Indian contingent confirmed the development to PTIYes we got to know about it It has been done by her team said the sourceAn Ad hoc Division of the CAS has been set up here for resolution by arbitration of any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening CeremonyThe matter will be taken up on Thursday morning Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals had replaced her in the Paris Olympics 2024 finalMeanwhile the United World Wrestling UWW president Nenad Lalovic categorically informed Indian Olympic Association IOA president PT Usha that the current weighin rule that led to the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from womens freestyle 50 kg final cannot be changed in retrospect while sympathising with the grappler for the turmoil she is going through Vinesh who was in the final of the 50 kg category was found overweight by 100 gm during the second days mandatory weighin leading to her disqualification from the gold medal matchOn IOAs suggestion that a wrestlers results from the day on which the athlete met the weighin requirements should not be disqualified the UWW President was sympathetic UWW will also discuss the suggestion at an appropriate platform but it could not be done retrospectively the said UWW in a statement which would certainly ring good for VineshAlso ReadChief medical officer reveals drastic steps taken to cut Vineshs weightLalovic told Usha and WFI president Sanjay Singh that the rules are in place for the benefit of athletesDuring the meeting at the Wrestling House in Paris Lalovic said that strict rules for weighin on competition days were drawn up keeping the wrestlers longterm health in view The rules dissuade athletes from competing in lower weight categories with weight loss methods that could impact their health in the long termUWW follows the set rules in all competitions including the Games Its decision to disqualify Vinesh is in line with the rules of international wrestling like all other instances of wrestlers failing to weigh in on the day of the competition the court media release statedWith agency inputs