In a major setback, Vinesh Phogat, India’s prominent free style wrestler faced another betrayal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her plea to be awarded a silver medal following her disqualification the Paris Olympics in the Women’s 50 Kg finals.
The Court’s decision not only shattered her dreams but also brought a wave of emotional heartbreak and legal repercussions within the Indian sports Community.
The CAS rejected her plea and released a statement on Wednesday, which read, “The application fielded by Vinesh Phogat on August 7 has been dismissed”.
Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification
Notably, last week at the Paris Olympics Women’s 50kg finals, Vinesh Phogat was found 100 grams overweight, which eventually exceeded the limit for her eligibility at the competition. She was disqualified before her face off with Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the sake of gold medal.
Vinesh announces retirement from Wrestling
On August 8, the wrestler even penned down an emotional note about her decision to retire from wrestling. “Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness,” she noted in her post.
Wrestling Champion, Vinesh Phogat
The three-times Commonwealth Games gold medalist, beat the Ukrainian former World Championship bronze medalist Oksana Livach in the quarterfinal and then Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-final to become the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final in wrestling.
Vinesh Phogat’s heart wrenching post
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-sNPYING3M/?igsh=MXh0OGxsOGRxM3E3eg==
On Independence Day, August 15th, 2024, the day that marks the 78th years of India’s independence from the British colonization, Vinesh shared a heart-wrenching post on her official Instagram handle. While she didn’t use any words in the caption, she posted a picture of herself laying on the wrestling ring, with a song “Rabba Ve” by B Praak, with lyrics noting, “Meri Baari Te Lagde, Tu Rabba Sutta Hi Reh Gaya”.
The lyrics translate to, “when it was my turn, God you kept sleeping”, a phrase she used to describe her despair from the Olympics 2024. While the people in the comment section were seen encouraging her, by quoting, “Always Champion for us” and “Our Champion”, in the comment section.
Additionally, Vinesh weighed 2.7 kgs above the eligibility limit after her bouts on Day 1, However, after going through an extensive routine she was able to lose the extra kilos to compete in the Women’s 50 kgs Wrestling. On the final day, she was 100 grams overweight, which led to her disqualification to compete in the match.
Kanishka Malhotra is a seasoned journalist with a deep passion for reporting and uncovering the truth. With a specialization in research and investigative Journalism, she has covered wide range of topics related to social issues, travel, lifestyle, technology, Entertainment and much more. She believes to express and share her creativity to the world through words. With relentless pursuit of knowing and uncovering the truth, Kanishka continues to leave a mark in the world of journalism.
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