Vinesh Phogat CAS Hearing Verdict Highlights: Court of Arbitration for Sport defers verdict on India wrestler’s plea to August 16

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Breaking: CAS verdict has been deferred for the third time now. Vinesh’s medal verdict delayed till August 16. 

Just a few minutes shy of 9:30 PM IST. The question still remains the same, will Vinesh’s plea for a joint silver be heard and will the CAS verdict go in her favour?

Japan’s Rei Higuchi offers a word of support for Vinesh. 

“I understand your pain the best. Same 50g. Don’t worry about the voices around you. Life goes on. Rising from setbacks is the most beautiful thing. Take a good rest,” Higuchi, who defeated India’s Aman Sehrawat in the 57kg freestyle category semifinals en route his gold, wrote on X while commenting on Vinesh’s retirement announcement.

CAS office is located within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement of Paris and will operate till August 11.

The ad-hoc panel shall give a decision within 24 hours of the lodging of the application. In exceptional cases, this time limit may be extended by the President of the ad hoc Division if circumstances so require.

President: Mr Michael Lenard, USA

Co-President: Dr Elisabeth Steiner, Austria

Co-President: Ms Carole Malinvaud, France

Arbitrators present in Paris (in alphabetical order):

Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC, Australia

Carine Dupeyron, France

Laila El Shentenawi, Egypt

Dr Hamid Gharavi, France/Iran

Lars Hilliger, Denmark

Prof. LU Song, China

Roberto Moreno, Paraguay

Prof. Philippe Sands KC, UK/France/Mauritius

Kristen Thorsness, USA

Raphaëlle Favre Schnyder, Switzerland

Dr Heiner Kahlert, Germany

Dr Leanne O’Leary, UK/New Zealand

“The hate directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr. Pardiwala, is unacceptable and worthy of condemnation, She (Usha) hope that those rushing to judge the IOA medical team would consider all facts before arriving at any conclusions.”

The IOA president said that association appointed a medical team a couple of months ago, primarily as a team that would assist in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competition. This team was also designed to support athletes who did not have their own team of nutritionists and physiotherapists. 

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Paris 2024 Olympics: Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal and the truth behind Olympic selection trials

Did Vinesh Phogat get to challenge Antim Panghal for a spot in the 53kg category at Paris 2024 Olympics? Here’s the timeline that explains everything.

“The responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team,” the IOA statement issued on Sunday read.

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US gymnast Jordan Chiles lost her bronze medal in the Paris Olympics women’s floor exercise after CAS ruled that the judging panel improperly granted an inquiry that moved her up from fifth.

In response to applications filed by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, CAS ruled that the appeal of Chiles’s degree of difficulty was submitted past the one-minute deadline for such inquiries and should not have been granted.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. 

“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan,” the statement added.

Defending champion Canadian women’s football team’s staff flew drones over New Zealand’s training sessions before its opening match. Canada was docked six points, while coach Bev Priestman and officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander were banned from any football-related activity for one year by FIFA. 

Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer appealed against the decision and asked for the cancellation or reduction in points deducted. CAS rejected the appeal

CASE 1

CAS rejected the appeal by the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Brazilian Football Confederation regarding women’s player Marta, who had received a straight red card during the match against Spain and thus, got a two-match suspension. 

Brazil appealed for the suspension to be reduced to one game so that she could play in the semifinals but CAS rejected it.

“The responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team,” an IOA statement issued on Sunday read.

“No, if you ask in such a general way. But allow me to comment on this individual case. There the regulations of the international federation have to be followed and the international federation, United World Wrestling (UWW), was taking this decision.”

“Looking at the federation or anybody to take such a decision, when and where do you make the cut? Do you say with 100gms, we give it but with 102(gms), we don’t give it anymore?”

“What do you do then in sports where you have differences of one-thousandths of a second (in track events). Do you also then apply such deliberations?” he added.

Sports law expert Vidushpat Singhania, who is now assisting the IOA on this case with CAS, had this to say about a negative verdict coming Vinesh’s way, “Technically, you can appeal a decision of CAS in the Swiss courts. But your chances of success are very low because it has to be against public policy. 

The appeal can only be made on the grounds that a fair process was not followed, which is unlikely. Hence, on can assume that the CAS verdict is final.

If CAS decides not to change the medal decisions, could CAS reinstate Vinesh’s wins in the preliminary stages? Her disqualification made her wins null and void, especially the stunning victory over top seed Yui Susaki.

The medals for the women’s 50kg freestyle category have been given out in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the event has not been put to rest just yet.Vinesh Phogat,who was disqualified from the gold medal bout due to missing the required weight by 100g, has moved the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ad-hoc panel sitting in Paris to consider awarding her joint-silver for her run to the final clash.

The hearing in this case was scheduled for Friday, August 9, with both parties — Vinesh’s legal counsel and United World Wrestling— set to make their arguments. But the date of the final verdict has now been pushed to August 13, Tuesday, two days afte the formal closing of the Games. 

Welcome to live updates from Vinesh Phogat’s appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport where she has moved the ad-hoc committee against her disqualification in the women’s 50kg category.