Vinesh Phogat set for Asian Games trials after Supreme Court upholds Delhi HC order

The Supreme Court on Friday (May 29) permitted wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held on May 30 and 31. A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the appeal filed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) against the Delhi High Court’s earlier order allowing Phogat to compete. During the hearing, the apex court indicated that preventing her from participating at this stage would be unfair.

“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. We are very bold in telling you this," the bench told the counsel appearing for the WFI.

The matter has been listed for further hearing next week.

WFI’s challenge against Delhi High Court order

The legal dispute began after the Delhi High Court granted Vinesh Phogat permission to appear in the Asian Games selection trials. The High Court noted that the WFI’s selection rules did not consider athletes returning after maternity leave and termed the policy restrictive in nature.

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In its May 22 ruling, the court directed that Phogat be allowed to compete in the trials set for May 30 and 31. It also ordered the entire process to be video-recorded and supervised by independent observers appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The High Court stressed that motherhood should not become a disadvantage in the professional careers of women athletes. It further pointed out that earlier selection frameworks had given authorities flexibility to accommodate iconic athletes in exceptional circumstances.

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Court criticises WFI remarks

The bench also took exception to remarks made by the WFI in a show-cause notice issued to Phogat, where her disqualification from the Paris Olympics was allegedly referred to as a “national embarrassment.”

The court described those comments as “deplorable", “ex-facie misconceived" and “ought to have been avoided".

Phogat had challenged the federation’s eligibility criteria, arguing that the qualification timeline overlapped with her pregnancy and post-partum recovery, effectively denying her a fair chance to compete.

Earlier this month, the WFI declared her ineligible for domestic tournaments until Jun 26, citing anti-doping rules applicable to athletes returning from retirement. Despite the restriction, she took part in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.

A former World Championships medallist, Vinesh Phogat, was also among the prominent faces of the wrestlers’ protest in 2023 against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

In Aug 2024, she suffered heartbreak at the Paris Olympics after being disqualified from the final due to being 100 grams overweight during the official weigh-in on the morning of the bout.

With inputs from agencies