Vinesh Phogat was disqualified just before her women’s 50kg final bout at Paris Olympics 2024 after being found overweight by just 100gms.
Paris: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat is set to land in India on Tuesday at around 10:30 AM at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, after pictures of her leaving the Games Village in Paris on Monday emerged. In the pictures which were shared by news agency IANS, Vinesh was seen with his two trolley bags as he exited the accommodation given to the athletes at the Paris Olympics, which concluded on Sunday.
Vinesh, who stormed into the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event with three convincing wins, including against wrestling royalty Yui Susaki of Japan last Tuesday, was debarred from the gold medal bout against eventual winner Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States as she was found 100gm above the prescribed limit in the customary morning weigh-in.
Shocked by the dramatic turn of events, the crestfallen grappler last Wednesday appealed against the decision at the CAS and demanded that she be given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Vinesh but was later promoted to the final following the Indian’s disqualification.
In visuals: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat outside the Games Village in Paris pic.twitter.com/RyMRk36pxL
— IANS (@ians_india) August 12, 2024
A day after her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport, saying she doesn’t have the strength to continue. The Indian wrestler is awaiting the verdict which will be out on August 13, as said by the Court of Arbitration in a statement on Saturday.
Months before she boarded the plane to Paris, Vinesh was spearheading a protest along with fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the renowned trio and few other grapplers.
Who Are Representing Vinesh Phogat At CAS?
Vinesh’s legal team has French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim and Charles Amson who helped her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during the filing of the application. They have been provided to her by the Paris Bar and are handling the case pro bono.
In addition, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania have also been roped in to help her in the case. If CAS rules in Vinesh’s favour, she will be awarded a joint-silver in the women’s 50kg freestyle category.