Vinesh Phogat didn’t want to challenge sports court’s verdict: Lawyer Harish Salve

Lawyer Harish Salve has revealed that former India wrestler Vinesh Phogat didn’t want to challenge the verdict given by Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), against her appeal to award her a joint-silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Notably, Phogat was disqualified from the final of women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling event after she was found 100g heavier than the permissible weight limit of the event on the day of her final.

As a result, she was completely eliminated from the event and pushed to the last spot. Distraught by the decision, Phogat filed an appeal against it in the CAS and was later represented by Harish Salve in the court who was fighting her case on behalf of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

However, after a week-long hearing, the ruling didn’t come in Phogat’s favour and she had to return empty-handed from the Paris. Recently, the Haryana-born wrestler made some explosive remarks against the IOA President PT Usha and alleged lack of support from the Indian Olympic body. She also expressed her disappointment about leniency from the lawyers which eventually led to losing her medal.

Responding to her allegations, Salve came out in public to disclose the proceedings of the case and alleged lack of coordination from Phogat’s lawyers.

“There was complete lack of coordination, lack of cohesion for quite some time initially. That’s because the very good law firm which had been engaged by the Indian Olympic Association was told by some lawyers who the athlete had engaged that ‘we will not share anything with you, we will not give anything to you. It was very late we got everything,” Salve told TimesNow.

Phogat didn’t want to carry it any further: Salve

He mentioned that they fought the case hard and also revealed that he gave an offer to Phogat to appeal against the CAS verdict in the Swiss Court. However,s he wasn’t interested to carry it further.

“Later on, we got everything and we fought hard. In fact, I even offered that lady that maybe we can challenge it in the Swiss court of appeal against the arbitration award but I was told by the lawyers that my impression is she didn’t want to carry this any further,” he added.

A day after her disqualification from the Games, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling. She ventured into politics last week, having recently joined the Indian National Congress.