Vinesh Phogat Paris Olympics Silver Medal Appeal: Know Time For Sports Court's Verdict On Indian Wrestler

Vinesh Phogat's lawyer, Vidushpat Singhania, expressed optimism about a 'landmark' verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding her disqualification. The CAS ad-hoc panel is expected to announce its decision on Vinesh's appeal on Tuesday, August 13. Despite the low success rate at CAS, Singhania remains hopeful.

Singhania highlighted the significance of the extended deadline for the verdict. "The fact that they have extended the verdict deadline more than once means they are thinking about this matter seriously," he told India Today. He added, "If the Arbitrator madam is thinking about it, it's good for us."

The delay in the verdict was due to Sole Arbitrator Dr Annabelle Bennett of Australia needing more time to review additional evidence. Dr Annabelle heard arguments from Vinesh Phogat, United World Wrestling, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during a three-hour session on Saturday.

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women's 50kg gold medal match on August 7 after being found 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in. She had gained 2.7 kg following her bouts on August 6 and couldn't reduce it below 50 kg before the final weigh-in.

Initially, Vinesh appealed to be allowed to compete in the final. However, the IOC had already disqualified her and announced Guzman Yusneylys would fight in her place against USA's Sarah Hilderbrandt. Sarah eventually won gold by defeating Guzman on August 7.

Vinesh then appealed to CAS for a joint silver medal. Her lawyers argued that her weight gain was due to natural recovery processes and not an attempt to cheat. They emphasized that her body weight was within limits on Day 1 of the competition.

"I have fought many cases at CAS in the past," Singhania said. "The success rate at CAS is very low. In this matter, we are asking for a landmark decision from the arbitrator. It's a little difficult, but let's hope something big happens."

Tendulkar has shown support for Vinesh during this challenging time. The senior counsel remains hopeful despite acknowledging how tough it is to overturn decisions at CAS.

"Let's all pray for Vinesh," Singhania added. "Let's hope she gets a medal. Even if she doesn't get it, she is a champion."

The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for future appeals involving athletes' rights and natural body recovery processes during competitions.