Coach Virendra Dahiya and Boxer Vijender Singh Support Vinesh Phogat After CAS Verdict
National Wrestling coach Virendra Dahiya believes that Vinesh Phogat deserved at least a silver medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her appeal for the silver medal in the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Olympics.
On Wednesday, CAS released a statement confirming that, “The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on August 7 has been dismissed.”
Following the verdict, Dahiya stated, “We were hoping that the decision would be in our favour. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sports Ministry, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) were hoping that the decision would be in our favour, but unfortunately, the decision was not in our favour, and we missed out on a gold medal. Vinesh is the most reputed women’s wrestler in India. She is very hard-working. We are really sad because we deserved at least a silver. This is an injustice to us.”
According to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the verdict was originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 13 at 9:30 pm IST, but was delayed to August 16. However, the decision was announced on Wednesday.
The 2008 Olympic medallist India boxer Vijender Singh extended support to Vinesh after CAS dismissed her plea for the silver medal and said, “This is an unfortunate thing for us. We could have won gold in the Olympics if she had made it through the finals. We are standing with Vinesh and will always support her. This is sad news, and I am not happy with this news.”
Vinesh was set to face Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal on August 7. However, she was disqualified before the women’s 50kg final after exceeding the 50kg weight limit by 100 grams.
Following her disqualification, Vinesh appealed to be awarded the silver medal in the 50kg weight category. On August 8, Vinesh announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an emotional post, saying, “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.”
Sarah Ann Hildebrandt secured the gold medal in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling after defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.
Doubts Revealed
Virendra Dahiya -: Virendra Dahiya is a coach who trains wrestlers in India. He helps them practice and get better at wrestling.
Vijender Singh -: Vijender Singh is a famous Indian boxer. He has won many medals for India in boxing competitions.
Vinesh Phogat -: Vinesh Phogat is a well-known Indian wrestler. She competes in wrestling matches and has won many awards.
CAS -: CAS stands for Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is a special court that helps solve sports-related problems and disputes.
Paris Olympics -: The Paris Olympics is a big sports event that will be held in Paris, France. Athletes from all over the world compete in different sports.
50kg event -: The 50kg event is a wrestling competition where athletes who weigh 50 kilograms or less compete against each other.
disqualified -: Disqualified means that someone is not allowed to continue in a competition because they broke a rule. In this case, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being over the weight limit.
retirement -: Retirement means stopping work or a career, usually after a long time. Vinesh Phogat decided to stop wrestling after the verdict.
