Vinesh Phogat didn't want to challenge CAS verdict: Salve

Vinesh Phogat didn't want to challenge the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision which upheld her disqualification from the women's 50kg free-style final for being 100gm overweight at the time of weigh-in, at the Paris Olympics, revealed senior lawyer Harish Salve.

Vinesh, the first Indian woman wrestler to make it to the Olympics final, had appealed against her disqualification from the final with the CAS, while making a plea for a joint silver medal but the ruling didn't go in her favour.

A few days ago, the wrestler stated that she didn't get much support from IOA, adding that if the case would have been fought better by the IOA lawyers she might have got the Olympic medal.

However Salve, who had represented the IOA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing, dismissed the theory.

Infact, he made a shocking claim that Vinesh didn't want to appeal the CAS verdict in the Swiss court of appeal. He also stated that her personal lawyers didn't share any details of the case with him despite being appointed by the IOA.

"There was a complete lack of coordination, lack of cohesion for quite some time initially. That’s because the very good law firm which had been engaged by the Indian Olympic Association was told by some lawyers who the athlete had engaged that ‘we will not share anything with you, we will not give anything to you. It was very late we got everything," Salve told Times Now.

"Later on, we got everything and we fought hard. In fact, I even offered that lady that maybe we can challenge it in the Swiss court of appeal against the arbitration award but I was told by the lawyers that my impression is she didn’t want to carry this any further," he added.

Interestingly, Vinesh had claimed after her disqualification that she didn't get any support from the IOA. She had announced retirement after her disqualification from the Olympics, saying she doesn't have the strength to continue.