CHENNAI: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) pushed back the decision on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a third time. Now, the ad-hoc panel is expected to come out with a ruling by 9.30 PM IST on Friday. No reasons were given by the CAS. “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 a decision until 16 August at 18h00 (Paris time),” a release from the world body said. Vidushpat Singhania, one of the two lawyers representing the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), an ‘interested party’ to the case (Vinesh Phogat v. United World Wrestling & IOC), told this daily that the Ad-Hoc panel ‘normally decides in 24 hours’.
Article 18 gives the body the power to indefinitely extend this. “The Panel shall give a decision within 24 hours of the lodging of the application,” Article 18 says. “In exceptional cases, this time limit may be extended by the President of the Ad-Hoc Division if circumstances so require.”
While Singhania couldn’t discuss the case specifics as the matter is sub-judice, the sports lawyer did opine that considering ‘time has been taken, it maybe good’. “The Ad-Hoc panel normally decides in 24 hours, that is their mandate. But I think the learned arbitrator wants to contemplate... time has been taken, I would assume it’s good.” He also walked this daily on the flow of events from Thursday morning.
“I can’t comment about what happened on the 7th (Phogat, who had qualified for the final of the women’s 50kg division, was disqualified on the morning of the 7th because, at the time of weigh-in, she was 50.1) as I wasn’t involved on that day. I got involved on the 8th where I was providing certain inputs to the authorities. Around that time, the IOA also filed its support brief and CAS issued an order that day that Indian Olympic body would be included as an interested party.”
What we know so far
Why has there been a third delay in the judgement?
Your guess is as good as ours. But there is now an increasing feeling these delays may benefit Phogat. It was a thought echoed by Vidushpat Singhania, one of the two lawyers employed by the IOA.
Who are Vinesh’s lawyers?
Contrary to some reports, it doesn’t have any Indian representation. Her legal team has four French lawyers who are working on a pro bono basis. Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Kim and Charles Amson. They were the ones who took the case to CAS.
IOA announces presser, then cancels it
Strangely, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had announced a press conference with Harish Salve (the other lawyer hired by the IOA in this regard) and PT Usha, IOA head at 9.30 PM on Tuesday, to coincide with the judgement from CAS. However, moments after CAS delayed it, IOA cancelled the scheduled press conference. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), meanwhile, have maintained a studious silence on the matter.