Vinesh-Harish Salve: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat had accused the central government and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha after being disqualified for being overweight before the final match of wrestling at Paris Olympics 2024. These allegations of wrestler-turned-Congress leader Vinesh have now been exposed. These allegations of Vinesh have been revealed by top lawyer Harish Salve. Let us tell you that after being disqualified by the Olympics for being overweight in the final match of 50 kg wrestling, Vinesh had alleged that the central government did not help in this matter deliberately. She also said that PT Usha had come with her only to get a photo taken, the truth of which has now come to the fore.
Harish Salve exposed the false claims of Vinesh
Top lawyer Harish Salve has revealed that Vinesh did not want to pursue the case after being disqualified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Salve represented the IOA in the CAS hearing after Vinesh appealed for the joint silver medal. Speaking to a media, Salve revealed that Vinesh did not want to challenge the decision given by the CAS. He said that initially there was a lack of coordination and lack of unity for a long time, this happened because the lawyers of the law firm appointed by the Indian Olympic Association for the athlete refused to reveal any information related to the case. Although later we got information related to the case and we fought the case strongly, but by then it was too late.
Salve was Vinesh’s lawyer in CAS
After being disqualified in the final match, Vinesh Phogat appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and was represented by lawyer Harish Salve on behalf of the IOA. CAS had earlier upheld the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to disqualify Vinesh Phogat. Her appeal for the joint silver medal in the women’s 50kg wrestling category was rejected.
Phogat did not want to pursue the matter further
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) advocate Vidushpat Singhania informed that the CAS decision can be appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days. This came after Vinesh Phogat claimed that her lawyers had taken a ‘soft’ stand in the appeal against the disqualification case that cost her the Paris Olympics medal. Harish Salve reiterated Singhania’s statement and said that he felt that Phogat did not want to pursue the case.
We fought hard
Salve said that we fought hard. I also proposed to Vinesh that we could challenge it in the Swiss Appeal Court against the arbitration award, but the lawyers told me that I think she did not want to pursue it. Harish Salve also alleged that there was a lack of coordination on the part of Vinesh Phogat’s lawyers.
Know what was the whole matter?
Nivesh Phogat reached the final of the 50 kg wrestling event in her third Olympics, but was disqualified by the Olympic Association after she was found to be 100 grams overweight in the 50 kg category before the final match. The wrestler also worked out overnight to reduce the weight, but could not reduce her weight and lost the medal. After being disqualified, a saddened Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport. She recently joined the Indian National Congress and will make her political debut as the party’s candidate from Jind’s Julana constituency in the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.
