Vinesh Phogat CAS Verdict Highlights: Vinesh Phogat's CAS Verdict Delayed Once Again; New Deadline is...

After Vinesh failed to breach the qualification mark, the Indian Olympic Association members and officials came under scrutiny. IOA President PT Usha on Sunday clarified that the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and not that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team. Usha said that each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have been working with the athletes over so many years, as per a statement from IOA.

"By Application of Article 18 of the CAS Arbitration Rules for the Olympic Games, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the time limit for the Panel to give a decision until 16 August 2024 at 18h00 (Paris Time)," the CAS said in a statement on Tuesday.

This is the third deferment in the case and no reasons have been given. In her appeal, Vinesh has demanded that she be given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to her in the semifinals but was promoted to the final following the Indian's disqualification. Vinesh's legal team has French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim and Charles Amson who helped her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during the filing of the application. They have been provided to her by the Paris Bar and are handling the case pro bono. In addition, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania were also roped in to help her in the case.

The ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport has once again deferred its decision on Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification from the Olympic finals, this time till August 16, prolonging the Indian wrestler's wait for a resolution. The 29-year-old was disqualified from the women's 50kg free-style final for being 100gm overweight at the time of weigh-in on Wednesday last week. "The CAS ad hoc division president has allowed Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, Sole Arbitrator in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) matter, an extension until 6-00 p.m. (Paris time) on Friday, August 16, 2024," a release from the IOA said.

The CAS ad hoc division president has allowed Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett, Sole Arbitrator in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) matter, an extension until 6-00 p.m. (Paris time) om Friday, August 16, 2024. 

Court of Arbitration for Sport postpones decision on Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against Olympic disqualification till August 16. The new deadline is till 9:30 PM (IST) on that day.

We are almost there as the decision is expected to come around 9:30 PM. Harish Salve and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will be addressing the media and a billion hopes currently rest on them.

Vinesh had stunned world No. 1 Yui Susaki of Japan in her opening but was disqualified for the final after being found overweight by 100 grams during the customary weigh-in on the morning of the gold medal bout. The 29-year-old then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) , demanding a joint silver medal alongside Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Vinesh in the semis but replaced her for the final following her disqualification.

Legendary Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh believes that Vinesh Phogat deserves a medal after reaching the final of the women's 50kg wrestling competition in Paris after being disqualified for being merely 100 gram over-weight. "There are two views, one being an athlete she deserves a medal, getting into the final, they snatched it from her, silver for sure. She was strong. If I was in her situation, I don't what I would have done," Sreejesh told PTI. "The next day before our bronze medal match I met her and she said 'Bhai good luck, play well'. I felt like she was hiding her pain with that smile. She is a real fighter."

Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the women's 50kg wrestling final at Paris Olympics 2024 came as a massive heart-break for Indian sports fans. However, before that, Vinesh's bouts sent India into euphoria. She pulled off the biggest upset at the Paris Games by outwitting hitherto invincible Yui Susaki with a perfectly planned strategy. Later, as Vinesh entered the final, Yui Susaki got a chance in the repechage and won the bronze. But Susaki has now said she committed 'a betrayal' for not winning the gold.

Botswana gave a rapturous welcome to Letsile Tebogo on Tuesday as the sprinter returned home with the southern African country's first ever Olympic gold medal. Families with children, elderly people and young supporters waved Botswana's sky blue and black national flag as the Olympic team landed back in the capital Gaborone. Hundreds of supporters had gathered at the small airport, benefiting from an impromptu half-day holiday declared by President Mokgweetsi Masisi to celebrate Tebogo's success. Before greeting the athletes, Masisi danced on the tarmac as an aid held an umbrella to shelter him from the sun.

Taiwan dispatched three F-16 fighter jets to accompany its Olympic athletes on the final hours of their flight home from the Paris Games on Tuesday. Competing under the name Chinese Taipei, Taiwanese athletes brought home seven medals -- two golds and five bronzes -- the second-best result for the island in an Olympic Games. Most notably, boxer Lin Yu-ting clinched gold in the women's boxing final match on Sunday, an emotional win that comes as she and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif have been ensnared in a major row over their gender eligibility.

After Nigeria failed to win any medals in the Olympics, sporting officials are under pressure from accusations of incompetence and calls for reform over what the sports minister branded a "disastrous outcome" in Paris. While smaller nations on the continent came home with multiple medals, the Giant of Africa left empty-handed for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics. Despite fielding continental champions like 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan, Africa's most populous nation did not live up to Olympic expectations.

Britain's Olympic team is donating equipment and food from the Paris Games to French charities as a thank you to the host nation. "Our French hosts have been wonderful in extending a welcome to us and our athletes," said British Olympic Association head Hugh Robertson on Tuesday. "....so it is an absolute pleasure that, where we can, we give something back to those communities." King size mattresses and furniture are being passed on to communities in and around Paris through French charity 'Les Restos du Coeur'. And all remaining food from shipments sent to France to Team GB during the Games will be given to the charity, as well as local food banks in Reims, and Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris where the Athletes' Village is located.

Harish Salve and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will be briefing the media at 9:30 PM, according to NDTV sources. That is also when the deadline set by CAS will officially come to an end.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi declared a holiday as Botswana geared up to welcome home sprinter Letsile Tebogo and his 200m gold medal, a first for the southern African country. Botswana's Olympic team was due to return on Tuesday with Tebogo's gold as well as silver in the men's 4x400m relay, boosting the country's total Olympic medal tally to four. The 21-year-old became the first African to win the men's 200m, in an African record time of 19.46sec, when he powered past Americans Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles in Paris on August 8.

Indian doubles badminton specialist Ashwini Ponnappa on Tuesday said she received little to no individual financial assistance from the sports ministry in the build up to Paris Olympics and even her request for a coach was turned down ahead of the just-concluded Games. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) had come out with a document, detailing the financial support provided to the Paris-bound Indian athletes. It mentions that Ashwini was provided Rs 4,50,000 under TOPS and Rs 1,48,04,080 under Annual calender for Training and Competition (ACTC), which included the procurement of Game Ready recovery equipment, international competitions and sparring partner in the Tokyo cycle.

In her distinguished career, Vinesh secured two World Championships bronze medals (2019 and 2022), an Asian Games gold (2018) and bronze (2014), and three Commonwealth Games gold medals (2014, 2018, 2022). She also won gold in the Asian Championships (2021) and has earned silver and bronze at the continental level.

In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Paris Olympics bronze medal winner Aman Sehrawat revealed the hardships he had to go through to manage his weight.

India's hockey legends have landed at the airport. On Monday, Vinesh Phogat had also left the Olympics village.

The Indian Olympic contingent, with 6 medals in the Paris Games, has returned home. The athletes received a grand welcome at the airport. Whether Vinesh will add 7th medal to the tally or not, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, a saddening news comes from India's campaign at Paris Paralympics where shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended over breach of anti-doping regulations.

Another look at Vinesh Phogat's famous win against Yui Susaki.

The Paris Olympics won mostly rave reviews from western media after they closed on Sunday, while media in Russia, whose team were excluded because of its war in Ukraine, sniffed at France's success. Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke wondered whether Tinseltown was up to the task of rivalling Paris when it hosts the next Summer Olympics in 2028. "We have to somehow take greatness and make it even greater," he wrote, calling the Games in France "a blockbuster Parisian party that was two weeks of pure Hollywood". "How on earth can the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics surpass what the world just witnessed in a two-week burst of picturesque rejoicing from the Champ de Mars to the Palace of Versailles?" The New York Times was generous in its praise of the sporting extravaganza, saying it lifted France from its gloom brought on by political crisis.

Vinesh on Monday was seen leaving the Olympic Games village after her extraordinary performance at the Games, which saw her storming into the final. However, she was disqualified from the women’s 50kg freestyle gold medal match after being found carrying an extra 100 gm weight during the weigh-in on the match day. Later, she appealed against her Olympic disqualification with the CAS and demanded a joint silver medal in the 50 kg weight category.

Months before she boarded the plane to Paris, Vinesh was spearheading a protest along with fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the renowned trio and few other grapplers.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who also was of the opinion that Vinesh should have been awarded a silver at least, champion shooter Abhinav Bindra, double Olympic medallist superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and celebrated hockey player PR Sreejesh also offered their support to Vinesh and reminded the country of her contributions in the sport.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat will be travelling to India with Olympic bronze medalist Aman Sehrawat after completion of the Paris Olympics 2024 and is expected to reach Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi by 10:30 am on Tuesday. “Vinesh Phogat is travelling to India tonight with Olympic bronze winner Aman Sehrawat, will reach Delhi at 10:30 am IST,” sources told IANS.

Vinesh's legal team has French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim and Charles Amson who helped her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) during the filing of the application. They have been provided to her by the Paris Bar and are handling the case pro bono. In addition, senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania have also been roped in to help her in the case.

2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh also extended his support to Vinesh. "Bhan @Phogat_Vinesh aap ke sath pehle bhi the ab bhi hai or aage bhi rahenge (Sister, I was with you earlier, with you now, and will be with you in future too)," Vijender tweeted.

France bid a reluctant farewell to an "enchanted" fortnight of Olympic sport as athletes headed home from Paris praising a dazzling edition of the Games that has breathed new life into the biggest show on earth. Hollywood star Tom Cruise delivered stardust at the closing ceremony on Sunday evening -- and a link with the next Games in Los Angeles -- by abseiling into the national stadium. The "Mission Impossible" star descended on a wire in front of 71,500 spectators, grabbed the Olympic flag and jumped onto a motorbike, to the delight of thousands of dancing athletes and awe-struck fans. The final act of the Paris Olympics brought relief that an event foreshadowed by worries about terror attacks, strikes or protests had passed off with barely a hitch. But there was also sadness that two weeks of high-spirited celebration had come to an end.

Kinzang Lhamo, a marathon-runner from Bhutan, received the loudest cheers from the Paris crowd as she crossed the line in the women's marathon event at the Paris Olympics 2024. But she wasn't the winner. Nor the runner-up. Not even the bronze medalist. In fact, the 26-year-old Lhamo finished last.

Former Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley announced his retirement from diving on Monday following the Paris Games. Daley, who won five Olympic medals during his decorated career, revealed the decision to call time on the sport during an interview with British Vogue. The 30-year-old bowed out after winning silver in the Olympic men's synchronised 10m platform in France, having clinched the gold medal in the same event at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the Olympic Games showed the world "the true face of France" as he praised the "success" of Paris 2024. "We don't want life to get back to normal," Macron said at a reception at the Elysee Palace. Many in France say that the success of the Olympic Games has surpassed expectations, with the Games lifting what was a morose mood in France amid political crisis. Macron on Monday said many had the feeling that during the Games even "the air was lighter."