New Delhi: Renowned Indian lawyer Harish Salve will represent the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in today's Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing concerning the disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics. 

Salve, a former Solicitor General of India and King's Counsel, will tackle the legal and procedural issues related to the case. The CAS hearing is set to begin at 9:00 AM Paris time (12:30 PM IST).

The CAS has set up an ad hoc division in Paris for Olympic cases, headed by President Michael Lenard from the US. This division operates within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement.

Following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics final, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling on Thursday. In a heartfelt message on X, Phogat expressed her sense of defeat and gratitude, saying, "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 response, Wrestling Federation of India President Sanjay Singh urged Phogat to reconsider her retirement. Singh, speaking to ANI, described Phogat's decision as hasty and suggested that she should discuss it with her family, the Federation, and other sports officials once she returns to India. He underscored her significant contributions to the sport, indicating that it would be premature to make such a decision under the current emotional circumstances. (Agencies)