Vinesh Phogat Gets Supreme Court Relief
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Games 2026, offering temporary relief amid an ongoing legal battle with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The selection trials are scheduled to take place on May 30 and 31.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the WFI’s appeal against the Delhi High Court order that had earlier permitted Phogat to compete. During the hearing, the apex court indicated that it was unwilling to prevent the wrestler from participating at this stage.
“Today at this stage, the high court having passed the order, the hope and expectations have risen. To tell her to go back home and we can’t do anything, will not be proper,” the bench observed while addressing the counsel representing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
The Supreme Court has now posted the matter for further hearing next week.
The controversy began after the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of Phogat on May 22, allowing her to take part in the Asian Games selection process. The court noted that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) selection policy did not adequately consider athletes returning after maternity leave and termed the eligibility criteria exclusionary.
The High Court also directed that the trials be video-recorded and supervised by independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to ensure transparency.
In its observations, the High Court stressed that motherhood should not become a professional disadvantage for women athletes. It criticised the federation for failing to provide flexibility for accomplished sportspersons making a comeback after pregnancy.
The court also took exception to remarks made by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in a show-cause notice, where Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics was described as a “national embarrassment” .The bench termed the comments inappropriate and avoidable.
Phogat had challenged the federation’s eligibility norms, arguing that the qualification period unfairly overlapped with her pregnancy and post-partum recovery, effectively denying her a fair opportunity to qualify.
The former world championship medallist had earlier been declared ineligible for domestic events until June 26 under anti-doping regulations linked to athletes returning from retirement. Despite the restriction, she participated in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.
Phogat was also among the prominent faces of the 2023 wrestlers’ protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
