Delhi High Court Denies Vinesh Phogat's Request for Selection Trials Participation

Court's Decision on Vinesh Phogat's Eligibility

New Delhi, Sep 11: The Delhi High Court has refused to provide immediate relief to Vinesh Phogat, a three-time Olympian wrestler, who sought permission to compete in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships set to take place in Kazakhstan.

A single-judge bench led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma declined to grant an interim exemption from the eligibility criteria established by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), stating that these criteria apply equally to all athletes and cannot be relaxed solely for Phogat at this time.

Phogat had requested the WFI to provisionally include her in the eligibility pool, allowing her to take part in the women's selection trials scheduled for September 14 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

The court noted that while Phogat's absence due to maternity would be taken into account when assessing the WFI's selection framework, it did not justify her participation contrary to the established eligibility criteria at this interim stage.

Justice Sharma remarked, “At this interim stage, this Court believes that the eligibility criteria applicable to all athletes should not be relaxed for the petitioner alone, especially when such a relaxation could impact other athletes in similar situations who are not before this Court.”

The ruling highlighted that the WFI's circular issued on September 7, outlining eligibility criteria for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, was not specifically designed against Phogat and was uniformly applicable to all athletes seeking to participate in the trials.

“Allowing the petitioner to participate by granting her a special exemption would not only be unfair to other athletes across the nation who may have similar grievances but are not represented here, but it would also risk opening a Pandora's box, with other athletes seeking similar exceptions from the eligibility criteria,” the Delhi High Court stated.

The court added that such a directive could not be issued without first reviewing and adjudicating the validity of the selection policy itself.

Phogat, represented by senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, argued that the new eligibility framework perpetuates an exclusionary system by making participation contingent on specific qualifying competitions, without offering a mechanism for athletes returning to competition after pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

However, Justice Sharma clarified that this broader issue would require thorough examination during the final adjudication stage, stating, “The broader question of whether a selection policy should provide an appropriate mechanism for athletes returning to competitive sports after pregnancy and childbirth, and whether the absence of such a mechanism renders the policy arbitrary or discriminatory, will also need detailed consideration at the final adjudication of the writ petition.”

Phogat had been away from competitive wrestling during 2024-25 due to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

The judgment noted that the International Testing Agency, representing United World Wrestling, confirmed in July 2025 that she would be eligible to compete starting January 1, 2026.

Previously, she had contested her exclusion from the Asian Games selection process in the Delhi High Court. A Division Bench had allowed her to participate in the Asian Games Selection Trials on May 30, noting that motherhood should not hinder a woman's career.

Phogat competed in the 53 kg category trials and reached the semi-finals but was ultimately not selected for the Asian Games.

The single-judge bench pointed out that the earlier interim relief granted by the Division Bench was specific to the then-existing Asian Games Selection Policy and the first show-cause notice issued against Phogat, and could not be interpreted as granting her a general or ongoing exemption from eligibility requirements for future competitions.

The High Court also mentioned that the WFI had issued a second show-cause notice against Phogat on June 17 regarding alleged misconduct during the selection trials in which she had been allowed to participate.

“Without expressing any final opinion on the validity of the Circular dated 07.09.2026 or on the merits of the ongoing disciplinary proceedings, this Court is not inclined to grant the interim relief sought by the petitioner at this time,” Justice Sharma concluded, dismissing Phogat's request to participate in the September 14 selection trials.

The main writ petition, which challenges the WFI's selection and disciplinary framework and seeks a fair, transparent, and structured mechanism for women athletes returning to competitive sports after pregnancy and childbirth, is scheduled for a hearing on September 29.