Delhi HC allows Vinesh Phogat to participate in Asian Games trials on May 30
Delhi High Court on Saturday allowed wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the Asian Games 2026 selection trials on May 30 scheduled to be held in New Delhi.
In the order made online, the court criticised the Wrestling Federation of India for acting in a “vindictive” manner against the grappler.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed that the trials be video-recorded and ordered the nomination of two independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to oversee the process. Phogat is expected to participate in the 57kg category.
The WFI had declared Phogat ineligible to participate in domestic events till June 26, 2026, citing the mandatory six-month notice period linked to athletes returning from retirement under anti-doping rules. A defiant Vinesh, however, showed up at the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda.
The Bench noted that Ms. Phogat’s exclusion from the trials was directly linked to the sabbatical and temporary retirement she took during maternity and recovery, which prevented her from participating in qualifying championships under the existing policy and circular.
The Court also deprecated the WFI’s description of Ms. Phogat’s disqualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a “national embarrassment” in its show-cause notice, despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport having found no wrongdoing on her part. The court said the remarks appeared “premeditated”, “misconceived” and reflective of a mala fide and vindictive intent against the wrestler.
The Bench further held that the existing policy and circular were “exclusionary in nature” as they failed to provide any discretion for considering iconic athletes who had taken a sabbatical due to maternity.
Published on May 23, 2026