WFI allows Vinesh Phogat to compete in 53kg category at Asian Games
New Delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has confirmed that star wrestler Vinesh Phogat will compete in the women’s 53kg category at the ongoing Asian Games 2026 selection trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.
In an official statement issued on Saturday, the WFI said that all eligible athletes, including Phogat, successfully completed the weigh-in procedure and were cleared to participate as per the scheduled format of the trials.
According to officials, Phogat weighed in at 53.9 kg and was placed in the 53kg draw, where she is set to compete against wrestlers including Meenakshi Goyat and Antim Panghal. The winner of the category will earn a spot to represent India at the upcoming continental championships.
The selection trials are being conducted under close monitoring, with observers appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) present at the venue in compliance with earlier directions of the Delhi High Court. The proceedings are also being video-recorded to ensure transparency in the selection process.
The legal backdrop to the development remains active. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court granted interim relief to Phogat while seeking responses on a petition filed by the WFI challenging her participation in the trials. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on June 1.
Separately, the Delhi High Court had already ordered on May 22 that Phogat be permitted to take part in the selection process, stating that the federation’s eligibility criteria appeared, at a preliminary level, to be arbitrary and potentially discriminatory for restricting participation to a limited group of medal-winning athletes.
The court also criticised remarks made by the federation in a show-cause notice issued to Phogat over earlier controversies, describing certain observations as inappropriate and appearing prejudicial, while noting that a prior ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport had not found wrongdoing on her part.
However, the court clarified that its observations were interim in nature and would not influence the final outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.
With the trials now underway under judicial and institutional oversight, Phogat’s performance in the 53kg category will determine her pathway to international representation later this year.
