Vinesh Phogat (Annie’s photo)
The Delhi High Court has cleared the way for popular Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat to compete in the upcoming selection trials for the Asian Games, stating that the current selection policy of the Indian Wrestling Federation unfairly excludes elite athletes returning after maternity leave. A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that Hogat be allowed to participate in the trials scheduled for May 30 and 31. The court also ordered the Wrestling Federation of India to record the entire selection process on video, while independent observers from the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association will oversee the proceedings. “The appellant is permitted to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held on May 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026,” the court said in its order dated May 22, which was uploaded on Saturday. The bench also strongly criticized the current WFI policy, saying it lacked flexibility for athletes like Phogat who have taken time away from the sport due to maternity leave. “The policy and circular are clearly exclusionary in nature as they do not give any discretion to the respondent No. 1 (WFI) to consider eminent players like the appellant in the light of the sabbatical taken on account of maternity leave,” the court observed.
The judges further noted that the reasons mentioned in the show-cause notice issued to Phogat appear to have been “pre-brokered” and amount to reopening of issues that were already settled. The court stressed the importance of fairness, and noted that allowing her to participate was necessary “in the interests of sport and justice.” The order came after Foghat appealed the May 18 decision of a single tribunal, which had earlier refused to grant her immediate interim relief in relation to participation in the trials. Phogat, one of India’s most decorated wrestlers, last made headlines during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she was heartbreakingly disqualified from the women’s 50kg freestyle final after being found to be 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in before the gold medal match.