New Delhi: Senior lawyer advocate Harish Salve has agreed to represent Vinesh Phogat at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after repeated requests. The decision comes as the Indian team scrambles to secure top-tier legal support ahead of the hearing, which has now been rescheduled to 10 am local time today (1:30 PM IST).
IOA seeks more time
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has requested more time to finalise their choice of legal representation for Vinesh Phogat’s appeal at CAS. Vinesh had contested her disqualification on two grounds. The first appeal sought permission for a second weigh-in, which was denied, allowing the gold medal match to proceed as planned.
The second appeal aims to secure a silver medal, saying that she qualified for it with a valid weigh-in on Tuesday. The CAS has stated that it will consider this claim. CAS has given the Indian team until 9:30 pm IST tonight to confirm their legal representation. An ad hoc division of CAS has been established in Paris to address any disputes that arise during the Olympic Games.
Vinesh’s disqualification
Vinesh, who was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight before her gold medal match in the 50 kg wrestling category on August 7, now faces a pivotal legal challenge. Despite the rejection of her request for a second weigh-in, there is still a possibility that she could have her disqualification overturned or be awarded a silver medal for her earlier performance.
According to reports, four Paris-based lawyers are currently handling Vinesh’s case, but with Harish Salve’s involvement, the IOA is positive about achieving a favourable outcome. However, the resolution of the case might not be immediate and could be prolonged. This development comes shortly after Vinesh announced her retirement on Thursday, citing that she no longer has the strength to continue in the sport.
This is not the first time when Advocate Salve has represented India internationally. Here’s a list of cases in which Salve represented the country previously.
Kulbhushan Jadhav case
He represented India at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court.
Nuclear disarmament case
He represented India at the ICJ in proceedings instituted by the Republic of Marshall Islands against nine states, including India, with respect to nuclear disarmament.
Bilateral Investment Treaty arbitration
He represented India in a Bilateral Investment Treaty arbitration against Vodafone BV and also represented Vedanta, a UK-listed company, in a similar arbitration against India.
