Lawyer Harish Salve has revealed that former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat chose not to challenge the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling which denied her a joint-silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Phogat was disqualified from the women’s freestyle 50kg final after exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams, resulting in her elimination from the event.

Following her disqualification, Phogat appealed the decision to CAS and was represented by Salve, who was acting on behalf of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Despite a week of hearings, the appeal was unsuccessful, and Phogat returned from the Games without a medal.

In recent comments, Phogat criticized IOA President PT Usha and expressed dissatisfaction with the legal support she received. She accused the IOA of inadequate support and blamed the lawyers for the unsuccessful appeal.

In response, Salve addressed these allegations, explaining that there was significant disorganization among the legal teams. He noted that the law firm hired by the IOA struggled due to a lack of cooperation from Phogat’s own lawyers.

“There was a complete lack of coordination and cohesion initially,” Salve said. “The law firm engaged by the IOA faced delays because they received information very late from Phogat’s team.”

Salve also mentioned that he had offered Phogat the option to challenge the CAS verdict in the Swiss court but stated that she showed no interest in pursuing further action.

Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling shortly after her disqualification and recently joined the Indian National Congress, transitioning into politics.