New Delhi: Vinesh Phogat, the face of Indian wrestling at the Paris Olympics, will have to wait till August 16 to know the fate of her appeal against her disqualification and a silver medal.

“The CAS ad hoc division president has allowed Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, Sole Arbitrator in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) matter, an extension until 6pm (Paris time) on Friday, August 16, 2024. Hence, the scheduled Zoom meeting with IOA President Dr PT Usha and Senior Counsel Mr. Harish Salve has been postponed,” a release from the IOA said.

Vinesh stormed into the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event with three convincing wins on the first day, against Japanese great Yui Susaki, Ukraine’s Oksana Livach and then against Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.

Following the third bout, officials said Vinesh was around 2.7kg above her prescribed weight. Having to make it to the second weigh-in the next morning, on August 7, she worked all night to shed weight. Despite all her effort, the third-time Olympian was still found 100 grams overweight. Cuban Lopez was promoted to fight in the final, which she lost and was awarded the silver medal.

Following the disqualification, French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim and Charles Amson who were working pro bono helped Vinesh and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in filing the application before CAS.

In addition, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania, who specialises in sports law, were roped in to fight the case. Salve served as the Solicitor General of India from 1999 to 2003.

It has been a tumultuous two years off the mat too for Vinesh, who was the face of the sit-in protest started in Delhi in January last year demanding action against then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, over allegations of sexual harassment. The Delhi Police filed an FIR after Vinesh, Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, the Tokyo bronze medallist, resumed the sit-in protest. A verdict on the case by a Delhi court is awaited.

Vinesh, whose normal weight is 55-56kg, was forced to drop down to the 50kg division ahead of the Paris Olympics, after competing in the 50kg and 53kg divisions at the domestic trials for the Olympic qualifiers in March.

A day after her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport, saying she doesn’t have the strength to continue, as sporting icons from across the world threw their weight behind the 29-year-old wrestler.

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