Saachi Baat Special
Vinesh Phogat has returned to India to a heroine’s welcome and been celebrated in her village in Ballali, Haryana. Yet, on Monday night, the Court for Arbitration in Sports (CAS) sought to put in perspective the controversy over how and why she was disqualified from the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics final for being overweight by a mere 100 grammes.
In its lengthy report, typically legal in nature, the CAS explained the terms and conditions of the case pertaining to Vinesh vis a vis the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Why the CAS took time in coming out with its exhaustive report can now be well understood as it was a difficult case. Yet, the CAS has harped on the fact, Vinesh Phogat was above the 50kg limit by 100gm at the second weigh-in, on the day of the final, when she was to have competed for the gold medal.
“This is a particularly difficult case. The facts are not in dispute: The Applicant was above the 50 kg limit for her wrestling category when she weighed in for the finals at the Paris Olympics. Had she competed, she would have been awarded either the gold or the silver medal. Her success in the competition had led to her being in that position,” the CAS document observed.
The CAS also noted that there was no fault of Vinesh and there was no wrongdoing, per se. “The Sole Arbitrator observes that the athlete (Vinesh Phogat) entered the field of play and fought and won three rounds and reached the final of the 50 kg wrestling competition at the Paris Olympic Games before she failed the second weigh-in and was ineligible to compete in the final. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on her part,” the CAS document added. The report has been uploaded on the CAS website.
What happened on August 7, 2024, in Paris was a shock to Vinesh and millions at home. For all the theories of “sabotage” and what not, the CAS has explained in its 24-page document why it arrived at the decision that Vinesh was overweight and there could be no awarding a silver medal.
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