The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Saturday (10 August) postponed the decision on the appeal by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat against her disqualification from the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris until Tuesday (13 August).
In a chaotic turn of events, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) initially stated that the verdict would be announced on Sunday, but then clarified that the result would not be known until August 13.
“The Ad Hoc Division of CAS has granted the sole arbitrator, Dr. Annabelle Bennett, in the case of Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee a deadline of 6:00 p.m. on 13 August 2024 to make a decision,” the IOA statement said.
“The reference to 11 August in my earlier communication referred to the time granted to all parties to submit any additional documents to the sole arbitrator,” it added.
Earlier, the hearing on the case ended in Paris on Friday after Vinesh’s appeal against her dismissal for being 100 grams overweight on the morning of her final against eventual gold medalist Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the USA was accepted.
“In application of Article 18 of the CAS Olympic Games Arbitration Rules, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the deadline for the panel’s decision until 10 August 2024 at 18:00 (Paris time),” the CAS said in a statement.
Previously, the ad hoc department set up specifically to settle disputes during the Olympic Games had stated that a decision could be expected before the end of the Paris Games on Sunday.
After the hearing, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) stressed that it hoped for a “positive solution”.
“The Indian Olympic Association remains hopeful for a positive resolution of wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s application before the Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her failed weigh-in,” the IOA said in a statement on Friday.
At the summit, Vinesh was replaced by Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semifinals on Tuesday.
In her appeal, the Indian had demanded that she and Lopez be awarded silver because she was within the prescribed weight limit in their fights on Tuesday.
The Olympic Games in Paris end on August 11th.
(With agency contributions)
