Senior advocate Harish Salve is poised to represent Vinesh Phogat in her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics.
The Indian team had requested additional time from the Lausanne-based CAS to appoint a representative and were granted a deadline of 9:30 pm IST on Thursday. On that day, Harish Salve, former Solicitor General of India, confirmed he would take on Vinesh’s case. The 29-year-old wrestler, who had made it to the women’s 50kg final, was disqualified the following day for being just 100 grams over the weight limit.
The CAS hearing is scheduled for 10 am Paris time on Friday, or 1:30 pm IST, with Salve joining the proceedings virtually, according to Law Today. Alongside Salve, Vinesh will also be represented by four pro bono lawyers from the Paris Bar.
Vinesh’s two appeals to CAS include one challenging the fairness of her journey to the final, which was swiftly dismissed. The other appeal, seeking a joint-silver medal, has been accepted by CAS, but a verdict may take several days.
Vinesh reached the final by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzmán and was set to compete against the USA’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt. However, her disqualification meant Hildebrandt went on to win gold. On Thursday morning, Vinesh announced her retirement from wrestling, expressing her heartbreak over the situation.