“Vinesh Phogat should be given reward of gold medallist”: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Panipat (Haryana) [India], August 11 (ANI): Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday appealed to the state government to give all the benefits of the gold medalist to ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat.

It comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) extended the deadline till Tuesday to deliver its verdict on whether to award a silver medal to Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics.

Speaking to ANI, Hooda said, “Whatever the decision comes, our appeal to the Haryana government is that Vinesh Phogat should be given the respect and reward of a gold medallist.”

Earlier, according to a statement from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), CAS extended the time for the final verdict till Tuesday, August 13, 6:00 PM Paris time and 9:30 PM IST.

“The ad hoc division of CAS has extended time for the Sole Arbitrator Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee matter to give a decision till 6-00 pm on August 13, 2024,” the IOA said in its statement on Saturday.

Following her disqualification, Phogat requested CAS to award her the silver medal.CAS has established an ad hoc division in Paris, led by President Michael Lenard from the US, to handle Olympic cases. This division operates within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement.

In an emotional post on X on August 8, she announced her retirement. “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.”

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.