Delhi High Court Intervenes in Vinesh Phogat's Wrestling Eligibility Dispute

Court's Ruling on Wrestling Federation's Decision

The Delhi High Court has criticized the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for its ruling that rendered Vinesh Phogat ineligible for domestic competitions. The court has mandated the establishment of an expert committee to facilitate her participation in the upcoming selection trials. It emphasized that the ongoing disputes should not hinder the sport of wrestling, stating, “Regardless of the ongoing feud, why should wrestling suffer?” as reported by a news agency.

This ruling came during the court's consideration of Phogat's appeal against a previous single-judge decision that denied her interim relief, asserting that she had already been deemed eligible. Phogat challenged the WFI's selection policy for the Asian Games and a notice issued on May 9, which prohibited her from competing in domestic events, including the National Open Ranking tournament, until June 26.

According to a circular from WFI dated May 6, only medalists from specific upcoming championships would qualify for Asian Games selection, explicitly stating that previous performances would not be taken into account. Furthermore, on May 9, WFI accused Vinesh of breaching anti-doping regulations, alleging that she did not fulfill the required six-month notice period for athletes returning from retirement as per United World Wrestling's guidelines.

Further updates are expected on this developing situation...