In the first expression of her apparent agony at the rejection of her appeal for being granted a shared silver medal by the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Paris following her heartbreaking disqualification prior to her historic gold medal bout in the women’s 50 kg freestyle competition of the Parish Olympics, star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has posted a wail to God.
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Without a word written or spoken, Vinesh posted a picture of herself on her Instagram account on Thursday lying flat on her back in the wrestling arena, her hands clutching her face, with an accompanying song ‘Rabba Ve’ by soulful music composer and Punjabi singer B Praak. The lyrics of the song are “….Meri Baari Te Lagdaey, Tuh Rabba Sutta Hi Reh Gaya…..!” (when it was my turn, it seems that God! you kept sleeping).
The song appears to be a true reflection of the pain and agony she must be experiencing within after being on the cusp of glory, for being the first Indian woman wrestler ever to get an opportunity to take a crack at an Olympic gold medal, and then, by a quirk of fate, being disqualified from the competition altogether and denied a medal.
On the morning of her gold medal winning bout, she was found 100 grams over the cutoff weight for her weight category (50 kg) during the mandatory weigh-in. As per an apparently obnoxious rule of the world wrestling body United World Wrestling (UWW), a wrestler found even one gram over the cutoff weight at weigh-in on the day of the bout stands disqualified from the competition and becomes ineligible for a medal even after having won a medal-winning bout prior to the disqualification.
Only operating portion of CAS decision released
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After a week of deliberations on Vinesh’s appeal for being granted a shared silver medal, on grounds of having won three bouts on way to the finals of the competition in the 50 kg weight category, despite being disqualified, the ad hoc division of CAS, after a few postponements, on Wednesday officially released the operating portion of its decision rejecting Vinesh’s appeal.
Vinesh, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which supported her cause, were represented in the court by India’s top international arbitration lawyer Harish Salve.
The details of the decision are still awaited.
IOA exploring further legal options
Expressing “shock” and “disappointment” over CAS’s rejection of Vinesh Phogat’s appeal, IOA in a statement released on Wednesday said, “In light of the order of the CAS, the IOA continues to stand in full support of Ms. Phogat and is exploring further legal options. The IOA is committed to ensuring that Vinesh’s case is heard. It will continue to advocate justice and fairness in sports, ensuring that the rights and dignity of athletes, and everyone in the sports fold, are upheld at all times.
“The operative part of the August 14 decision, which dismisses Vinesh’s application to be awarded a shared silver medal women’s 50 kg category at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, has significant implications for her in particular and the sporting community at large, the IOA statement read.
“The marginal discrepancy of a 100 grams, and the resultant consequences, has profound impact, not only in terms of Vinesh’s career but also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation.
“The IOA firmly believes that the total disqualification of an athlete for such a weight infraction on the second of (the) two days warrants a deeper examination. Our legal representatives had duly brought this out in their submissions before the Sole Arbitrator,” the statement further read.
The IOA is of the opinion that “The matter involving Vinesh highlights the stringent and, arguably, inhumane regulations that fail to account for the physiological and psychological stresses athletes, particularly female athletes, undergo. It is a stark reminder of the need for more equitable and reasonable standards that prioritize athletes’ well-being.”
