Vinesh Phogat's silver hopes dashed! CAS dismisses Indian wrestler's plea for silver medal at Paris Olympics 2024

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc division has reportedly dismissed the application filed by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat for a silver medal in the women's 50kg event at the Paris Olympics. This decision was announced on Wednesday, following Phogat's disqualification last week for exceeding the 50kg weight limit.

CAS issued a statement, saying, "The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on August 7 has been dismissed," as per the agency reports.

Vinesh Phogat was found to be 100 grams over the limit during the weigh-in prior to the women's 50kg final, leading to her disqualification. She was set to compete against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal.

After her disqualification, 29-year-old Phogat requested the CAS on August 7 to award her the silver medal instead. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) initially announced that the verdict would be given on Tuesday, August 13 at 9:30 pm IST. However, it was delayed to August 16.

Harish Salve, a renowned Indian lawyer and former Solicitor General of India and King's Counsel, represented the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in this landmark case.

Before her disqualification, Vinesh had reached the gold medal match by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals. The decision came as a blow to Phogat, who, following her disqualification, made a shocking decision to retire from wrestling altogether.

In an emotional post on X, Phogat expressed her sense of defeat and gratitude, stating, "Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness."

Earlier this week, Wrestling Federation of India Vice-President Jai Prakash Chaudhary hoped that the decision will come in favour of the athlete. However, despite a strong case presented by the IOA, the appeal has reportedly been dismissed.

The entire episode led to many sportspersons coming out in support of Phogat, while some criticized the IOA officials for the athlete's failure to meet the weight requirements. However, IOA President PT Usha on Sunday clarified that the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach.

(With inputs from ANI)