There have already been enough and more arguments on the Vinesh Phogat case. And as we expect the judgment to come today, here are the possible scenarios. First, I don’t expect this case to get done on Tuesday. If Vinesh is awarded the silver, United World Wrestling (UWW), in all probability, will appeal the decision. Similarly, if Vinesh isn’t given a favourable verdict, chances are that she too will appeal. Either way, this could continue for a few more weeks or months.
Coming to the case itself, UWW has opposed Vinesh on the basis of rules. Time and again, its President, Nenad Lalovic, has said that while he feels for Vinesh, rules are rules and there is no way they can be changed for anyone. Fair point. But that’s where UWW gets caught up in a tangle. According to its rules, the repechage is fought by those who were beaten by a finalist. That’s how a wrestler who lost gets another crack at a medal. In this case, Yui Susaki of Japan was given the opportunity to fight the repechage. But why and how? Wasn’t Vinesh ranked last according to UWW rules? Isn’t it true that her results have been expunged? Then, how and why would Susaki get an opportunity? By allowing her to fight, didn’t the UWW deprive someone else?
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🚨 Breaking: UWW is opposing Vinesh Phogat on the basis of rules. But are the rules clear or are they confusing? Based on rules, the repechage is fought by someone who has lost to the finalist. Here, Vinesh was last and her results expunged. So, how come Susaki was allowed to… pic.twitter.com/ue8ryPGo7X
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 12, 2024
In all fairness, if Vinesh was ranked last, whoever lost to Yusneylys Guzman of Cuba should have been allowed to fight the repechage. Not Susaki, who lost to Vinesh. By allowing Susaki, UWW is accepting that Vinesh was actually the finalist. This strengthens her case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Indians have argued on these lines, and it will be interesting to see how the UWW holds ground on rules. Even if there is a rule, which is now brought up that says the repechage can be fought by Susaki, such a clause would never appear logical to anyone, further strengthening the case that there is an urgent need to revisit some of these rules.
Either way, the Vinesh case which has made global headlines isn’t likely to end today. Whichever side ends up losing will appeal the verdict and chances are it will then be taken to a higher authority and drag on for a few months. What it will do to Vinesh’s mental health is uncertain. We can also report that she left the Athletes Village on Monday and suggested to the Indian authorities that she could now manage things on her own. She wasn’t willing to be photographed as she left, and clearly, her mental state is fragile. We hope she gets justice, for otherwise, it could be a very difficult few months.
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