Vinesh Phogat backed out? Lawyer Harish Salve reveals what happened after CAS verdict on Paris Olympics controversy

Former India wrestler Vinesh Phogat recently blamed Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and its president, PT Usha, for not offering her support and playing politics at the Paris Olympics after she was disqualified on the morning of her gold-medal match. However, top lawyer Harish Salve, has revealed that Vinesh didn't want to "carry this any further" after her appeal against disqualification was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Salve represented the IOA at the CAS hearing, afer Vinesh had appealed to be given a joint silver medal. She made it to the final in her third Olympic appearance, but was disqualified from the women's 50kg freestyle competition. Vinesh was found 100gm overweight on the second weigh-in despite her overnight efforts to lose the extra kilos.


After her disqualification, a heartbroken Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport. She joined the Indian National Congress recently and will make her political debut in the coming Haryana Assembly Elections as the party's candidate from the Julana constituency in Jind.
In a recent interview to a local news channel, she lashed out at the IOA president, saying that she just came to meet her in the hospital as a formality and played politics by getting a picture clicked and putting it on social media as an act of support.
Talking to Times Now, Salve revealed that Vinesh didn’t want to challenge the verdict given by CAS.
“There was complete lack of coordination, lack of cohesion for quite some time initially," said Salve. "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 (that) we got everything."
Salve added that his team fought the case hard and also offered Vinesh to appeal against the CAS verdict in the Swiss Court. But she showed no interest.
“Later on, we got everything and we fought hard. In fact, I even offered that lady that maybe we can challenge (CAS verdict) in the Swiss (federal) court...my impression is that she didn't want to carry this any further," Salve added.