The Indian sporting fraternity reacted with disappointment at the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) verdict rejecting wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her Olympic disqualification but said she will remain a champion for them. (Medal Table | Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia said a medal had been snatched away from Vinesh.
"I believe your medal was snatched away in this darkness. You are shining like a diamond in the whole world today," Punia, who led a long sit-in protest along with Vinesh and Sakshi Malik accusing former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually haras༺sing women grapplers, posted on '💛X'.
"World champion pride of Hindustan, Rustam-e-Hind Vinesh Phogat, you are the Kohinoor of the country. It's Vinesh Phogat all over the world. Those♔ who want medals can buy them for Rs 15 each," he wrote with a picture of Vinesh wearing several medals.
The 29-year-old Vinesh wa𒀰s disqualified on the morning of the women's 50kg freestyle final last wee🎉k.
In her appeal, Vinesh had demanded that she be𝕴 given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semifinals but was promoted to the summit clash 🌠following the Indian's disqualification.
The🦄 gꩵold was claimed by American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.
A decision on Vinesh's appeal was postponed three times. Despite extending the deadline till August 16ꦺ to announce the verdict, the decision against the star grappler came out Wednesday evening and it was a terse one-line statement.
"It is sad🐎 news but what can we say? A sportsperson works extremely hard and if something like this happens to anyone, it hurts. For us, Vinesh is a star, and will always be," said 🍎hockey player Jarmanpreet Singh.
His team-mate Amit Rohidas said, "The 💜whole of I🗹ndia is with her".
"She should held 💞her head high. She is a ch𓄧ampion for us and the country."
Nat🃏ional wrestling coach Virendra Dahiya termed the CAS decision "🌸unfortunate".
"It is very unfortunate and a jolt for us. We were very hopeful✨ that the decision would be in our favour. But it is unfortunate f🦩or Indian wrestling and the country," he said.
Indian Olympic Association President PT Us꧒ha had also expressed "shock and disappointmen🌊t" at the turn of events.
The body also lashed out at the "inhumane regulations" of the United World Wrestling (UWW) that fail to consider the "physiological and psychological st🐷resses faced by at♍hletes".
The IO𒅌A had roped in senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania to help Vinesh in her case.
"The decision of the CAS was really disappointing. We were very hopeful, Vinesh worked hard the most. After the timeline was extended, we thought the arbitrator Madam was having a thoug💫ht and that the decision could be in our favour. But it was dismissed with a one-line statement," Singhania saidඣ.
"We have to wait for the detailed order, we🎐 have to see what is written there and accordingly will take a decision regarding future courꦚse of action."
Asked what was the argument on the part of Vinesh, he ꧅said, "The UWW (wrestling world governing🌄 body) had argued that rules are rules and if it (weight category) is 50kg, you are allowed only 50kg and nothing above that.
"Our plea was on a different line that you have to see the human rights aspect, there is ambiguity in the rules, no clarity on the rules. But it seems our plea has been rejected and why it was rejected will be known only when the detailed order com𝔍es."
Vinesh is expected to return home on Saturday.
