Supreme Court to Review WFI's Challenge on Vinesh Phogat's Asian Games Trials Participation

WFI Appeals High Court's Decision on Vinesh Phogat

Following the Delhi High Court's recent ruling permitting grappler Vinesh Phogat to compete in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has filed an appeal against this decision in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court is set to hear the WFI's petition on Friday, presided over by Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe.

This ruling from the apex court is expected to have far-reaching effects on the selection criteria and the involvement of athletes who are returning to competitive sports after a hiatus.

On May 22, a Division Bench of the High Court ruled in favor of Phogat, stating that the WFI's selection policy was unfairly exclusionary, particularly for athletes like her who are coming back from maternity leave.

The court referred to Phogat as an 'iconic athlete' and emphasized the need for her to have a fair chance to compete, mandating her participation in the trials scheduled for May 30-31.

Additionally, the High Court instructed that the trials be recorded on video by the WFI to ensure transparency, with independent observers from both the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) present during the process.

In contrast, the WFI argues that adherence to established selection criteria is essential for maintaining fairness and consistency in team selections.