Delhi High Court Grants Vinesh Phogat Permission to Compete in Asian Games Trials

Vinesh Phogat's Legal Victory

The Delhi High Court has provided significant relief to renowned Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat by permitting her to participate in the trials for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled for May 30 and 31. Previously, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had prohibited her from competing in any events for the foreseeable future. The court criticized the national wrestling organization, labeling their decision as 'vindictive'.

According to a circular issued by the WFI, only those who secured medals at the 2025 Senior National Wrestling Championship, the 2026 Senior Federation Cup, the 2026 Under-20 National Wrestling Championship, and the Under-23 National Wrestling Championship would qualify for selection to the Asian Games. The WFI also stated that previous performances would not be taken into account.

For Phogat, who was on maternity leave during the 2025 Nationals and has not participated in professional wrestling since her unfortunate disqualification for being slightly overweight at the Paris 2024 Olympics, these stipulations posed a significant challenge. The timing of the federation's announcement was particularly harsh, as Phogat had been looking forward to the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, as her comeback event. This tournament, set for May 10-12, 2026, was to mark her return after 20 months and her debut in the 57 kg category.

Despite her aspirations for a strong showing in Gonda to regain her place in the national team, the WFI's circular dashed those hopes by declaring that the Ranking Tournament would not qualify for Asian Games selection. This decision effectively excluded the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist from the upcoming competition.

More updates will follow...