Paris (France): Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has appealed against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics for being overweight. According to the sources, Vinesh has filed a complaint at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the verdict is to be given by the governing body on Thursday.
Now, if CAS rules in Vinesh’s favour, she might be awarded a joint silver medal as the CAS verdict will be binding on the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Earlier in the day, Vinesh was found to be weighing 100 grams more than the permeable limit in the women’s 50kg category. She was then taken to the polyclinic of the Olympic Village due to dehydration as her efforts to cut down the weight the previous night included extreme measures. After her disqualification, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez has taken Vinesh’s place in the final. Any hopes of Vinesh getting a medal now lie on the CAS ruling.
What is CAS?
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is an independent body established in 1984 to resolve sports-related disputes through arbitration. CAS resolve legal disputes within the international sporting fraternity and their judgements are considered to be the same as the judicial courts.
Arbitration panels usually include three members with each party in dispute choosing one member each while the third is selected by the president of the respective division. In a few cases, a sole arbitrator is also appointed.
Why Vinesh was disqualified
Vinesh was disqualified from the final of her weight category on the morning of her bout. She weighed 50.1 kg, just 100 grams more than the required weight during the weigh-in.
Some media reports revealed that Vinesh weighed around 2.5 kg more than the eligibility criteria the previous night and so adopted extreme measures which included cutting her hair, shortening her vest, pumping out some blood from the body, jogging, and cycling. Even after so much effort, she weighed 100 grams more than what was required.
