“She definitely deserved a medal” - Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma backs Vinesh Phogat after CAS rejects silver medal appeal
After the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal for a silver medal filed by Vinesh Phogat, Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma backed the Indian wrestler and said that her performances in the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024 warranted a medal.
Speaking to reporters from PTI, Sharma said:
“It is very unfortunate. I still feel that she [Vinesh] is a warrior and she is amazing. Rules are cruel but I think she did her best. She definitely deserved a medal, but it is what it is. In our eyes, she is still a champion.”
Even though Phogat was scheduled to compete in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics 2024 for a gold medal, she was disqualified from the tournament after she was found over her weight class’s limit during the second-day weigh-in.
CAS rejects Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for joint silver medal at Paris Olympics 2024
Vinesh Phogat surprised everyone by storming into the finals of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics 2024. She defeated heavyweights such as the reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan, Oksana Livach of Ukraine, and Yusneylys Guzman of Cuba.
However, right before her final match against Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States, Phogat was disqualified from the Olympic Games after she was found to be 100 grams over her weight class.
Despite best efforts from the wrestler and her entire support staff, she failed to comply with the required weight limit within the stipulated time. As a result, she was ranked last in the tournament.
Phogat, who announced her retirement from wrestling soon after her disqualification, filed an appeal with the CAS, asking for her disqualification to be overturned so that she could be awarded a joint silver medal in the women’s 50kg wrestling event.
Even though CAS was supposed to issue an interim ruling within 24 hours, the ad-hoc committee set up to adjudicate the issue postponed the decision until August 13, when it was pushed back again till August 16.
Finally, on Wednesday, the CAS issued its ruling, rejecting Vinesh Phogat's appeal and upholding the decision made by the United World Wrestling (UWW) to disqualify the Indian wrestler.